Northern lights tonight: aurora forecast for your city
Kp now 3.3, up to 2.7 forecast in the next 24 hours (quiet). Outside Alaska the U.S. is unlikely to see it tonight.
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City by city
| City | Tonight | Kp needed | Clouds | Dark | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowknife, Northwest Territories | Possible | 0 | 52 % | 7:22 PM–7:27 AM | 33 % |
| Reykjavík, Iceland | Clouded out | 0 | 99 % | 7:07 PM–7:23 AM | 33 % |
| Tromsø, Norway | Clouded out | 0 | 94 % | 6:02 PM–7:02 AM | 33 % |
| Fairbanks, Alaska | Clouded out | 0.4 | 92 % | 7:28 PM–7:48 AM | 33 % |
| Anchorage, Alaska | Unlikely | 2.2 | 85 % | 7:47 PM–7:46 AM | 33 % |
| Juneau, Alaska | Unlikely | 2.4 | 99 % | 6:52 PM–6:37 AM | 33 % |
| Edmonton, Alberta | Unlikely | 3.2 | 69 % | 7:37 PM–7:04 AM | 33 % |
| Edinburgh, Scotland | Unlikely | 4.1 | 49 % | 7:12 PM–6:47 AM | 33 % |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | Unlikely | 4.1 | 39 % | 7:37 PM–6:53 AM | 33 % |
| Calgary, Alberta | Unlikely | 4.4 | 78 % | 7:43 PM–7:02 AM | 33 % |
| Marquette, Michigan | Unlikely | 5.4 | 44 % | 8:03 PM–7:09 AM | 33 % |
| Duluth, Minnesota | Unlikely | 5.4 | 1 % | 7:21 PM–6:28 AM | 33 % |
| Fargo, North Dakota | Unlikely | 5.6 | 16 % | 7:40 PM–6:47 AM | 33 % |
| Bismarck, North Dakota | Unlikely | 5.8 | 0 % | 7:56 PM–7:03 AM | 33 % |
| Vancouver, British Columbia | Unlikely | 5.8 | 100 % | 7:22 PM–6:36 AM | 33 % |
| Great Falls, Montana | Unlikely | 5.9 | 27 % | 7:37 PM–6:46 AM | 33 % |
| Bangor, Maine | Unlikely | 6.1 | 70 % | 6:50 PM–5:53 AM | 33 % |
| Spokane, Washington | Unlikely | 6.2 | 94 % | 7:01 PM–6:11 AM | 33 % |
| Traverse City, Michigan | Unlikely | 6.3 | 35 % | 7:58 PM–7:00 AM | 33 % |
| Burlington, Vermont | Unlikely | 6.3 | 98 % | 7:08 PM–6:10 AM | 33 % |
| Minneapolis, Minnesota | Unlikely | 6.4 | 17 % | 7:28 PM–6:31 AM | 33 % |
| Missoula, Montana | Unlikely | 6.4 | 85 % | 7:49 PM–6:56 AM | 33 % |
| London, England | Unlikely | 6.4 | 1 % | 7:07 PM–6:27 AM | 33 % |
| Green Bay, Wisconsin | Unlikely | 6.4 | 11 % | 7:07 PM–6:09 AM | 33 % |
| Seattle, Washington | Unlikely | 6.6 | 83 % | 7:21 PM–6:30 AM | 33 % |
| Billings, Montana | Unlikely | 6.6 | 42 % | 7:28 PM–6:33 AM | 33 % |
| Portland, Maine | Unlikely | 6.7 | 69 % | 6:57 PM–5:57 AM | 33 % |
| Toronto, Ontario | Unlikely | 6.7 | 46 % | 7:34 PM–6:34 AM | 33 % |
| Concord, New Hampshire | Unlikely | 6.9 | 55 % | 7:03 PM–6:02 AM | 33 % |
| Buffalo, New York | Unlikely | 7.1 | 85 % | 7:33 PM–6:31 AM | 33 % |
| Grand Rapids, Michigan | Unlikely | 7.1 | 1 % | 8:00 PM–6:58 AM | 33 % |
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Unlikely | 7.1 | 0 % | 7:09 PM–6:07 AM | 33 % |
| Albany, New York | Unlikely | 7.1 | 65 % | 7:12 PM–6:10 AM | 33 % |
| Madison, Wisconsin | Unlikely | 7.2 | 1 % | 7:15 PM–6:13 AM | 33 % |
| Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Unlikely | 7.2 | 0 % | 7:43 PM–6:43 AM | 33 % |
| Rapid City, South Dakota | Unlikely | 7.2 | 0 % | 7:09 PM–6:10 AM | 33 % |
| Boston, Massachusetts | Unlikely | 7.3 | 95 % | 7:02 PM–5:59 AM | 33 % |
| Detroit, Michigan | Unlikely | 7.4 | 8 % | 7:50 PM–6:47 AM | 33 % |
| Portland, Oregon | Unlikely | 7.6 | 60 % | 7:25 PM–6:29 AM | 33 % |
| Chicago, Illinois | Unlikely | 7.7 | 3 % | 7:09 PM–6:05 AM | 33 % |
| Cleveland, Ohio | Unlikely | 7.8 | 100 % | 7:45 PM–6:41 AM | 33 % |
| Des Moines, Iowa | Unlikely | 8 | 2 % | 7:33 PM–6:28 AM | 33 % |
| New York City, New York | Unlikely | 8.1 | 95 % | 7:16 PM–6:09 AM | 33 % |
| Boise, Idaho | Unlikely | 8.1 | 71 % | 8:01 PM–7:01 AM | 33 % |
| Omaha, Nebraska | Unlikely | 8.2 | 0 % | 7:43 PM–6:37 AM | 33 % |
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Unlikely | 8.3 | 100 % | 7:40 PM–6:33 AM | 33 % |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Unlikely | 8.5 | 95 % | 7:21 PM–6:13 AM | 33 % |
| Columbus, Ohio | Unlikely | 8.5 | 86 % | 7:52 PM–6:44 AM | 33 % |
| Cheyenne, Wyoming | Unlikely | 8.7 | 0 % | 7:18 PM–6:13 AM | 33 % |
| Indianapolis, Indiana | Unlikely | 8.7 | 35 % | 8:05 PM–6:57 AM | 33 % |
| Washington, D.C., District of Columbia | Unlikely | 9 | 100 % | 7:29 PM–6:19 AM | 33 % |
| Salt Lake City, Utah | Unlikely | 9 | 0 % | 7:47 PM–6:41 AM | 33 % |
| Kansas City, Missouri | Unlikely | 9 | 10 % | 7:39 PM–6:30 AM | 33 % |
| St. Louis, Missouri | Unlikely | 9 | 22 % | 7:22 PM–6:12 AM | 33 % |
| Denver, Colorado | Unlikely | 9 | 0 % | 7:20 PM–6:12 AM | 33 % |
| Reno, Nevada | Unlikely | 9 | 0 % | 7:20 PM–6:11 AM | 33 % |
| Sacramento, California | Unlikely | 9 | 0 % | 7:28 PM–6:17 AM | 33 % |
| San Francisco, California | Unlikely | 9 | 0 % | 7:32 PM–6:20 AM | 33 % |
Kp needed = the Kp at which the aurora reaches the city's northern horizon. Clouds = average cloud cover in the dark hours. Dark = one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise, local time.
How this forecast works
The aurora forms in a ring – the auroral oval – around the magnetic north pole. When a burst of solar wind hits the Earth's magnetic field, the oval brightens and expands south; the planetary Kp index (0 to 9) measures how disturbed the field is, and the higher it goes the further south the lights can be seen. Because the magnetic pole sits over northern Canada, the U.S. is closer to the oval than Europe at the same latitude: Montana sees aurora at a lower Kp than Germany.
For every city we work out its geomagnetic latitude and the Kp at which the aurora reaches its northern horizon, take NOAA's highest Kp forecast for the city's dark hours tonight, and check the hourly cloud cover for the same hours. Likely means the forecast Kp is at least one step above what the city needs and the sky should be mostly clear; possible means the forecast just reaches it – look low to the north; clouded out means activity is high enough but the clouds are not.
Tips for seeing it
Get away from city lights – even 20 minutes' drive makes a large difference – and find a clear view of the northern horizon (a lake shore or a hill). Turn off headlights and phone screens, wait 15–20 minutes for dark adaptation, and keep watching: the aurora comes in waves, often quiet for half an hour and then bright for ten minutes. A bright moon washes out a faint display, so moonless nights are best.
Northern lights questions
Can I see the northern lights tonight?
Not from most of the U.S.: the maximum Kp forecast for the next 24 hours is 2.7 (quiet), enough only for Alaska and the far north of Canada.
What Kp do I need to see the northern lights?
It depends on how far north you are – more exactly, on your geomagnetic latitude. Alaska and northern Canada see aurora at Kp 1–3 on most clear nights; the northern tier of the U.S. (Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Maine) needs about Kp 5–6; the middle of the country Kp 7; the southern states only the rare Kp 8–9 storms. Each city page shows the Kp it needs.
What is the best time to see the aurora?
Usually between about 10 PM and 2 AM local time, when your part of the Earth faces the night-side of the auroral oval – but during a strong storm it can appear as soon as it is dark. Give your eyes 15–20 minutes away from screens and lights.
Why can my phone see the aurora when I can't?
A phone camera's long exposure collects far more light than the eye and sees color better in the dark. At lower latitudes a faint aurora often looks grey or white to the eye and green or pink on a 3-second phone shot – try night mode pointed north.
How accurate is the forecast?
Kp forecasts a day or more ahead come from observations of the Sun and are uncertain by a step or two; the timing of a storm's arrival can be off by many hours. The OVATION model is good for the next 30–90 minutes. Check the page again in the evening.
Northern lights by place
Sources: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (planetary Kp index and 3-day forecast, OVATION aurora model, G-scale outlook), Open-Meteo hourly cloud cover; sun and moon computed by 77.today. The aurora is notoriously hard to forecast beyond an hour or two – treat this as a guide.