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Can I See the Northern Lights Tonight? Live Forecast
Published · Live Atlas
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The higher the Kp index, the farther south the aurora can reach. At Kp 5 or more, NOAA calls it a geomagnetic storm, and the northern lights can show up over the northern United States. Clear, dark skies still decide whether you see them.
How Far South Can You See the Aurora at Each Level?
| Kp | NOAA storm level | Aurora has been seen as far south as |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | No storm | Mostly Alaska, Canada and other high latitudes |
| 5 | G1, minor | Northern Michigan and Maine |
| 6 | G2, moderate | New York and Idaho |
| 7 | G3, strong | Illinois and Oregon |
| 8 | G4, severe | Alabama and northern California |
| 9 | G5, extreme | Florida and southern Texas |
From the NOAA Space Weather Scales. The highlighted row matches the current or expected level.
Kp Forecast, Next Two Days
| Time (your clock) | Kp | Level |
|---|
When and Where to Look
NOAA's advice is simple. Look north, as far from city lights as you can, within an hour or two of midnight. The aurora often starts as a pale glow low on the horizon before it brightens and moves.
A phone camera can pick up colors your eyes miss, so a quick photo is a good test when the glow is faint. Clouds block everything, so check your local cloud forecast too.
What the Map Shows
The green band on the map behind this page is NOAA's short-term aurora forecast, updated through the day. The brighter the green, the higher the chance of aurora overhead.