Northern lights Arkansas tonight
Arkansas sits at ~44°N magnetic latitude and needs Kp 6 from dark sites in the Ozarks. Buffalo National River near Jasper gives Bortle 2 conditions at 36°N geographic in the northern part of the state. Aurora sightings in Arkansas are uncommon and require G3 storms or stronger. The May 2024 G5 event was visible from Arkansas. Best season: September to April.
Aurora visibility - Arkansas
Unlikely tonight
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 6–7 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Arkansas.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Arkansas
Today
3 Jun
Tomorrow
4 Jun
Fri
5 Jun
Sat
6 Jun
Sun
7 Jun
Mon
8 Jun
Tue
9 Jun
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Arkansas sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 44°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 6–7 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 6–7, visibility is possible from Arkansas but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Arkansas
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Buffalo National River - Boxley Valley area
Get directions ↗The first National River designated in the USA, in the Arkansas Ozarks near Jasper and Harrison. The river valley and surrounding ridge country give Bortle 2-3 conditions - among the darkest accessible areas in the state. The north-facing ridges above the Buffalo River give open sky access. At 36.0°N geographic, the northern Arkansas Ozarks sit at the highest latitude in the state. About 160 miles from Little Rock via US-65. The valley floor gives foreground interest and dark sky in equal measure.
Crater of Diamonds State Park area
Get directions ↗Near Murfreesboro in southwest Arkansas, the area around the world's only publicly accessible diamond mining site gives Bortle 3 conditions in open farmland and forest. At 34.0°N geographic this is the southernmost major option in Arkansas, and the lowest latitude in the state for aurora watching. Worth mentioning for the novelty - you can dig for diamonds in the day and watch for aurora at night during major storms. About 115 miles from Little Rock.
Ozark National Forest - Sylamore District
Get directions ↗In north-central Arkansas near Mountain View, the Ozark National Forest's Sylamore district gives ridge-top positions with Bortle 2-3 conditions. The White River valley and surrounding highland plateaux face north across the rural Ozark uplift. Blanchard Springs Caverns and the adjacent forest give accessible camping and dark sky. About 115 miles from Little Rock via US-65. The Ozark Plateau in this area sits at 500-700 m elevation, which helps marginally with atmospheric depth.
Best time to see the northern lights in Arkansas
At 44°N magnetic latitude, Arkansas sits at the lower end of regular aurora territory. Only the deep mid-winter months of November through January offer nights dark enough for aurora to be visible, and only then when a significant geomagnetic storm pushes the auroral oval this far south.
Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at Arkansas's latitude.
Outside November through January, twilight is too bright for aurora viewing even during significant storms. The season is short, but the equinox months on either side of winter can extend it slightly when storm timing aligns.
Other USA aurora forecasts
← USA overviewRelated pages
Northern Lights USA
USA-wide aurora forecast hub.
Northern Lights Georgia Tonight
Georgia - similar latitude, similar Kp 6 threshold.
Northern Lights Kansas Tonight
Kansas - slightly higher latitude, Kp 5 from dark sky.
Northern Lights Kentucky Tonight
Kentucky - similar latitude, Land Between the Lakes dark sky.
What Is the Kp Index?
What Kp 6-7 means for viewing at 44°N magnetic latitude.
Aurora photographs from Arkansas
Aurora borealis over Arkansas
ISS Expedition 29 crew · Public domain · Source
Aurora borealis over Arkansas
ISS Expedition 29 crew · Public domain · Source
Aurora borealis over Arkansas
ISS Expedition 29 crew · Public domain · Source
Aurora borealis over Arkansas
The original uploader was 14jbella at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 1.0 · Source
Common questions
Aurora in Arkansas - Ozarks dark sky, Little Rock visibility, and the Kp levels needed for a southern state sighting.
