All locations USA
Live aurora forecast

Northern lights in USA tonight

Aurora borealis over Fairbanks, Alaska - 65°N magnetic latitude inside the auroral oval, Kp 1 threshold, comparable to Tromsø.

Pick a town → Tonight's conditions Possible tonight · Kp 1
Tonight in USA

How the sky looks right now

Live Kp index from NASA & NOAA, mapped to what it means across USA.

Geomagnetic activity
1/9
G0 · Quiet

Low activity expected. Solar conditions are currently quiet. Chances of aurora visibility are low tonight.

QuietStormExtreme

How far south the glow reaches

At Kp 1, the auroral oval pushes down to ~76°N - covering every USA town below.

65°NAlaska · Kp 1
51°NIowa · Kp 6
40°NArizona · Kp 7
Tonight reaches ~76°N
Best threshold
Kp 1
Ref. latitude
~68°N mag · Fairbanks
Bz ↓ south
- nT
Solar wind
- km/s
Density
- p/cm³
Cloud at ref
-
Conditions right now: - Kp + Bz + solar wind + cloud + moon
Next 7 nights

7-day outlook for USA

Predicted peak Kp each night, from NOAA's 3-day forecast and the 27-day solar-recurrence model.

Tonight
24 Jun
1
Low
Thu
25 Jun
3
Minor
Fri
26 Jun
3
Minor
Sat
27 Jun
3
Minor
Sun
28 Jun
3
Minor
Mon
29 Jun
3
Minor
Tue
30 Jun
3
Minor

Forecasts beyond 3 days are lower confidence - check back nightly as the outlook firms up.

Where to watch in USA

Aurora visibility by town

Each spot lights up at a different Kp threshold thanks to its latitude. It comes down to the clouds.

All visible tonight Far north · Kp 1+ Mid · coast South

Alaska

65°N

Alaska hub – Fairbanks (Kp 1) and Anchorage (Kp 2) overview

From Kp 1 Visible

Fairbanks

65°N

Alaska – auroral oval, Kp 1 from Cleary Summit

From Kp 1 Visible

Anchorage

61°N

Alaska – Kp 2 from the Chugach Range

From Kp 2 Kp 2 needed

North Dakota

55°N

Theodore Roosevelt NP Dark Sky Park, flat prairie horizon

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Minnesota

56°N

Boundary Waters – best dark sky in the lower 48 north

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Wisconsin

56°N

Apostle Islands – Lake Superior north-facing shore

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Michigan

55°N

Upper Peninsula – dark sky on Lake Superior

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Montana

55°N

Glacier NP – Rocky Mountain aurora

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Wyoming

51°N

Yellowstone Lamar Valley and Grand Teton at 2000 m

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Idaho

50°N

Craters of the Moon Dark Sky Park, Lake Pend Oreille

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Vermont

52°N

Northeast Kingdom – Bortle 2-3 near Quebec border

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

New Hampshire

52°N

Coos County – Connecticut Lakes near Quebec, Bortle 2

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Maine

51°N

Acadia NP – dark sky New England coast

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Washington

54°N

Okanogan Highlands and North Cascades – Cascade rain shadow

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Oregon

49°N

Alvord Desert Bortle 1-2, Crater Lake Dark Sky Park

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Great Falls

54°N

North-central Montana – 56° magnetic, Missouri River plains

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Duluth

55°N

Lake Superior north shore – Hawk Ridge and Canal Park lakefront

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Whitefish

55°N

Glacier NP gateway – Lake McDonald and Going-to-the-Sun Road

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Marquette

55°N

Upper Peninsula – Presque Isle and Black Rocks on Lake Superior

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Keweenaw

57°N

Upper Peninsula – Brockway Mountain and Copper Harbor on Lake Superior

From Kp 3 Kp 3 needed

Minneapolis

55°N

Twin Cities – Boundary Waters 4 hrs north, Mille Lacs 2 hrs

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Seattle

54°N

Pacific Northwest – Hurricane Ridge and eastern Cascades

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Bozeman

54°N

Gallatin Valley – Hyalite Canyon and Yellowstone gateway

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Burlington

53°N

Lake Champlain – Vermont's largest city, Northeast Kingdom 90 min north

From Kp 4 Kp 4 needed

Portland (Maine)

51°N

Maine coast – Cape Elizabeth and Acadia NP 3 hrs north

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Portland (Oregon)

50°N

Oregon – Rowena Crest and Columbia River Gorge

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Colorado

48°N

Great Sand Dunes NP – International Dark Sky Park at 2340 m

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Utah

48°N

Bryce Canyon and Natural Bridges – three International Dark Sky Parks

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Nebraska

50°N

Sandhills – Bortle 2 over vast area, Kp 6 threshold

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Massachusetts

50°N

Mount Greylock and Cape Cod – New England dark sky

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

New York

52°N

Adirondacks interior – Bortle 2, largest wilderness east of Mississippi

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Glacier NP

55°N

Montana – 56°N magnetic, Kp 5 threshold, same as Tromsø

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Kansas

47°N

Cimarron Grassland – flat prairie horizon, Bortle 2

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Kentucky

48°N

Land Between the Lakes – lake peninsula, Kp 6-7 from dark sky

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

North Carolina

45°N

Blue Ridge Parkway – Waterrock Knob 1934 m, Kp 7 from ridge

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Georgia

43°N

Blue Ridge mountains – Kp 7 from northern GA dark sky

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Arkansas

44°N

Ozarks – Buffalo National River, Bortle 2, Kp 7

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Washington DC

47°N

DC metro – Shenandoah NP 80 miles, Kp 6-7 from dark sky

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Ohio

49°N

Hocking Hills and Wayne NF – Kp 6 threshold, Lake Erie horizon

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Indiana

49°N

Indiana Dunes NP and Hoosier NF – Great Lakes and forest dark sky

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

California

43°N

Lassen Volcanic NP and Point Arena – Kp 7 from northern CA dark sky

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Illinois

51°N

Nachusa Grasslands and Shawnee NF – Kp 5-6 from northern IL

From Kp 5 Kp 5 needed

Maryland

48°N

Garrett County and Assateague Island – dark sky, Kp 6-7

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Texas

42°N

McDonald Observatory Bortle 1 and Big Bend NP – Kp 7-8

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Pennsylvania

49°N

Cherry Springs SP Bortle 1 – Kp 6, best dark sky in the east

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Virginia

46°N

Grayson Highlands 1700 m and Shenandoah NP – Kp 6-7

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

New Jersey

49°N

Pine Barrens and High Point SP – Kp 6 from NJ dark sky

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Oklahoma

44°N

Wichita Mountains and Black Mesa Panhandle – Kp 7

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Iowa

51°N

Yellow River SF and Loess Hills – Kp 6, Driftless dark sky

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Arizona

40°N

Kitt Peak Bortle 1 and Flagstaff Dark Sky City – Kp 7-8

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Tennessee

46°N

Roan Mountain 1916 m and Big South Fork – Kp 6-7

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed

Alabama

43°N

Little River Canyon and Bankhead NF – Kp 7, rare events

From Kp 7 Kp 7 needed

Missouri

48°N

Ozark Riverways Bortle 2 – Kp 6 from Current River corridor

From Kp 6 Kp 6 needed
See all 53 US locations →
Denali the moose

Denali the moose's tip: Alaska sits under the auroral oval - Fairbanks at 65° N sees aurora overhead on Kp 2-3 nights. The lower 48 needs G3 or stronger to see anything significant, with the northern states like Montana, Minnesota, and Maine the most realistic targets on G2 nights. Alaska's interior stays drier and clearer than the coast, which is why Fairbanks has become the main aurora-watching destination.

When to go

Best months for USA

Alaska aurora season runs August to April. The lower 48 can see aurora year-round during major storms. September and March (equinox months) are most active. June–July have midnight sun in Alaska - no aurora possible.

USA at a glance

Three ways to do it

Easiest

Fairbanks

Alaska auroral oval - aurora on almost any clear night in winter, comparable to Tromsø

Threshold · Kp 1
Most iconic

Wyoming

Yellowstone Lamar Valley and Grand Teton at 2,000 m - dramatic mountain foreground

Threshold · Kp 5-6
Darkest skies

Minnesota

Boundary Waters Canoe Area - largest wilderness east of the Rockies, Bortle 1-2

Threshold · Kp 4
USA aurora at a glance

Why the USA stands out

Alaska is in a separate category from the rest of the USA. Fairbanks at ~65° and Anchorage at ~61° magnetic latitude see aurora at the same Kp levels as Scandinavia. The Fairbanks aurora lodge industry - led by operators like Borealis Basecamp and Chena Hot Springs Resort - has grown substantially in the past decade as international aurora tourism expanded beyond Scandinavia.

In the continental USA, the northern tier sees aurora during geomagnetic storms. North Dakota at 55°N magnetic latitude has one of the lower thresholds in the lower 48, and the flat prairie gives unobstructed northern horizons. Minnesota's Boundary Waters and Michigan's Upper Peninsula have the darkest skies at 55–56°N. Wisconsin's Apostle Islands give open water horizon on Lake Superior's south shore.

The mountain west states have a practical advantage: high elevation reduces atmospheric absorption, and the Great Basin and Cascade rain shadow give clear skies more frequently than equivalent eastern latitudes. Montana's Glacier National Park, Wyoming's Yellowstone, Idaho's Craters of the Moon, and Oregon's Alvord Desert are among the darkest large-area sky platforms in the country. Vermont and New Hampshire in New England sit at 52°N magnetic with some of the darkest sky east of the Mississippi.

Side by side

Compare USA locations tonight

Pre-filled with USA's top spots - search 400+ locations worldwide to compare any of them side by side.

Up to 8 locations

Fairbanks

USA

Possible
Kp 1 need Kp 1-2
Checking darkness…
Anchorage

USA

Low chance
Kp 1 need Kp 2-3
Checking darkness…
Unlikely
Kp 1 need Kp 5
Checking darkness…
Minnesota

USA

Unlikely
Kp 1 need Kp 4-5
Checking darkness…
The odds

How often does the aurora appear in USA?

Average nights per month the Kp reached Fairbanks's threshold, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).

11Jan
11Feb
13Mar
8Apr
2May
0Jun
0Jul
5Aug
12Sep
12Oct
11Nov
11Dec

Based on geomagnetic data 2010–2024 for Fairbanks, Alaska at 65°N. The lower 48 states need G2+ storms for visible aurora - Fairbanks sees aurora on almost any clear night in winter.

Make it happen

Plan your trip to USA

Based on 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010-2024)

1st
September
12
avg aurora nights
Autumn equinox boost, darkness returns to Alaska, pleasant temperatures
2nd
October
12
avg aurora nights
Full dark nights across Alaska, strong equinox geomagnetic activity
3rd
March
13
avg aurora nights
Spring equinox peak, improving temperatures across all US aurora regions

Best window for Alaska

September for the best balance of darkness, activity, and manageable cold. October and March for the equinox geomagnetic peaks. The Fairbanks aurora lodges typically operate October–March; book well in advance for mid-winter dates.

Lower 48 strategy

Set NOAA G-storm alerts and drive to a dark sky site when Kp 4+ is forecast. Minnesota's Boundary Waters, Michigan UP, Montana's Glacier NP, and Vermont's Northeast Kingdom are the best platforms. Most sightings happen with less than 6 hours of notice.

Read the planning guide → USA travel guide
From the community

Aurora photographs from USA

Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.

Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
Aurora Borealis and Australis Poster Aurora Borealis and Australis Poster
Northern Lights Over Southern Michigan (Pink) Northern Lights Over Southern Michigan (Pink)
Northern Lights Over Southern Michigan (Green and Pink) Northern Lights Over Southern Michigan (Green and Pink)
Good to know

Common questions

Where is the best place to see the northern lights in the USA?
Fairbanks, Alaska is the best aurora destination in the United States. At 65°N magnetic latitude inside the auroral oval, Fairbanks sees aurora at Kp 1-2 - comparable to Tromsø or Yellowknife. For the continental USA (lower 48), the best positions are the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the Boundary Waters in Minnesota, which can see aurora at Kp 4 from genuinely dark skies. Montana's Glacier National Park is the best Rocky Mountain option.
When is the best time for northern lights in Alaska?
August to April. Fairbanks has adequate darkness from mid-August. The equinox months of September and March are geomagnetically the strongest. Winter (December-February) has the longest darkness but extreme cold (-30 to -40°C). The aurora lodges around Fairbanks typically operate October to March. September is popular: still cold enough, active aurora, and daytime temperatures are manageable.
Can you see the northern lights in the lower 48 states?
Yes, during moderate to strong geomagnetic storms. The northern tier states - Minnesota, Michigan Upper Peninsula, Montana, North Dakota, and northern Wisconsin - can see aurora at Kp 4-5. During G3-G4 storms (Kp 6-7), aurora extends as far south as the mid-Atlantic and Midwest. The May 2024 G5 storm produced aurora visible across the entire continental USA. For reliable viewing in the lower 48, dark sky destinations and Kp 4+ conditions are needed.
What is the best state for aurora in the lower 48?
Minnesota and Michigan Upper Peninsula are the best lower-48 states for aurora. Both sit at 54-56°N magnetic latitude with nationally significant dark sky areas (Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, Pictured Rocks and Tahquamenon Falls in Michigan UP). Lake Superior's open water horizon gives a wide north-facing sky view. Aurora is visible several times per year in strong geomagnetic conditions.
How does Alaska compare to Canada for aurora?
Fairbanks and Yellowknife are essentially equivalent - Fairbanks at ~65°N and Yellowknife at ~69°N magnetic latitude, both inside the auroral oval. Fairbanks is more accessible from the US West Coast; Yellowknife from US East Coast via Toronto. Both have well-developed aurora lodge industries. Fairbanks has slightly more developed tourism infrastructure. Many aurora enthusiasts visit both.
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