Aurora forecast: northern lights tonight
The aurora appears when gusts of the solar wind shake Earth’s magnetic field. The Kp index (0–9) measures how strongly. The further you are from the magnetic pole, the higher the Kp you need: in Tromsø almost any clear dark night can show the lights, in Berlin or Chicago it takes a strong storm.
Below you’ll find the live Kp, NOAA’s three-day forecast and the verdict for your place. Kp alone is not enough: you also need darkness and a clear sky, so we combine all three.
Can I see the northern lights tonight?
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Kp needed here
| Kp | NOAA | Aurora by place |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | — | Yellowknife, Reykjavík, Akureyri, Svolvær, Tromsø, Alta |
| 1 | — | Fairbanks, Tórshavn, Bodø, Narvik, Kirkenes, Kiruna |
| 2 | — | Anchorage, Whitehorse, Lerwick, Ålesund, Trondheim, Östersund |
| 3 | — | Juneau, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Kirkwall, Inverness, Oslo |
| 4 | — | Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Aberdeen, Edinburgh |
| 5 | G1 | Bismarck, Fargo, Duluth, Marquette, Ottawa, Montreal |
| 6 | G2 | Seattle, Spokane, Missoula, Billings, Rapid City, Sioux Falls |
| 7 | G3 | Portland, Boise, Detroit, Chicago, Des Moines, Omaha |
| 8 | G4 | Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Philadelphia, Washington |
| 9 | G5 | San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta |
Kp to see it low in the sky. Methodology
Aurora by place
Aurora forecast for 150+ places in North America and Europe: the Kp needed, how many nights a year have enough activity, and tonight’s live chances.
Geomagnetic storm archive
Every geomagnetic storm since 1932: yearly counts of storm days, the strongest storms by Ap and Kp, from the official GFZ Potsdam Kp record.
Strongest storms (1932–)
| Date | Max Kp | Daily Ap |
|---|---|---|
| November 13, 1960 | 9 | 280 |
| May 11, 2024 | 9 | 271 |
| March 13, 1989 | 9 | 246 |
| April 1, 1960 | 9− | 241 |
| July 15, 1959 | 9 | 236 |
| September 18, 1941 | 9− | 232 |
| July 5, 1941 | 9 | 222 |
| March 28, 1946 | 9− | 213 |