Northern lights tonight in Madison, Wisconsin: unlikely
Unlikely tonight. Madison needs about Kp 7.2; tonight's forecast reaches Kp 1.7, cloud cover 1 %. Dark from 7:15 PM to 6:13 AM, moon 33 % lit.
Share
Tonight in Madison
| Local time | Cloud cover | Kp forecast | Aurora reaches the horizon? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 PM | 0 % | 1.7 | No |
| 9:00 PM | 4 % | 1.7 | No |
| 10:00 PM | 5 % | 1.7 | No |
| 11:00 PM | 2 % | 1.7 | No |
| 12:00 AM | 2 % | 1.7 | No |
| 1:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
| 2:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
| 3:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
| 4:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
| 5:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
| 6:00 AM | 0 % | 1.3 | No |
Where to look in Madison
At Madison's latitude the aurora appears low on the northern horizon during geomagnetic storms (Kp 8 or more), often as a green or reddish glow rather than dancing curtains overhead. Drive away from the city lights to a place with an open view to the north – a lake shore, a field or a hilltop – and use a phone camera in night mode, which picks up color the eye misses.
A bright moon and haze both wash out a faint display; check the hourly cloud cover above and look again later in the evening, when NOAA's short-term OVATION model gives a better picture of the next hour.
Northern lights in Madison
Can I see the northern lights in Madison, Wisconsin tonight?
Unlikely: unlikely tonight. Madison needs about Kp 7.2; the forecast for its dark hours tonight is up to Kp 1.7, with 1 % cloud cover on average.
What Kp is needed to see the aurora in Madison, Wisconsin?
Madison: about Kp 7.2 (geomagnetic latitude 51.8°).
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.
Nearby
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.