Northern lights in Alabama tonight

The deepest canyon east of the Mississippi, cut through Lookout Mountain in northeast Alabama. The canyon rim gives elevated positions with Bortle 3 sky facing north across the Fort Payne area. At 34.4°N geographic, the northern Alabama mountains sit marginally farther north than Birmingham, a slight edge but still well south of the aurora zone. The canyon plateau road gives north-facing sky access above the gorge, and the sandstone rim provides a natural foreground for aurora photography. About 90 miles from Birmingham via I-20 and US-11.

The largest national forest in Alabama, in the southern Appalachian foothills northwest of Birmingham. The Sipsey Wilderness - Alabama's only federally designated wilderness area - gives Bortle 3 conditions in deep sandstone canyon country. Ridge roads through the national forest face north across the Black Warrior River watershed with minimal light pollution. The Haleyville and Double Springs areas give forest road access to dark clearings. About 60 miles from Birmingham via US-278.

In south-central Alabama near Evergreen, Conecuh NF gives Bortle 2 conditions over a longleaf pine landscape. At 31°N geographic the latitude is low and aurora here takes a major-to-extreme storm, roughly Kp 7-8. The exceptional darkness makes it a strong photography site during the rare storms large enough to push aurora across the southern states. The open longleaf pine savannah gives clearer sky than dense deciduous forest. About 200 miles from Birmingham via I-65.