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Northern lights Burlington tonight

Burlington sits at 53° magnetic latitude on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. The Kp 4-5 threshold applies here. North Beach Park gives a direct north-facing lake horizon five minutes from downtown - unusual for a New England city of this size. The Green Mountains to the east add accessible elevated dark sky terrain within an hour. Best season: September to April.

Aurora visibility - Burlington

Unlikely tonight

Kp 1 is well below the Kp 4–5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Burlington.

Current Kp

of 9

Threshold for Burlington: Kp 4–5 Magnetic latitude: ~53°N Updated: 15 May, 17:58 UTC

↓ Bz — nT Solar wind — km/s Density — p/cm³ ☁ —%

Conditions right now: — Kp + Bz + solar wind + cloud + moon

7-day outlook for Burlington

Today

15 May

Quiet

Tomorrow

16 May

Quiet

Sun

17 May

Quiet

Mon

18 May

Quiet

Tue

19 May

Quiet

Wed

20 May

Quiet

Thu

21 May

Quiet

Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.

What Kp is needed here?

Burlington sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 53°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 4–5 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.

At Kp 4–5, visibility is possible from Burlington 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 Burlington

Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.

North Beach Park

Burlington's north-facing beach on Lake Champlain, about 5 minutes from downtown. The open water extends north toward Quebec with minimal light pollution across the lake. The Adirondacks on the New York side are visible to the west but create no light dome. The beach faces the right direction and is free of overhead obstructions. The parking lot has low-level lighting, but walking a short distance down the beach improves conditions.

Mount Philo State Park

About 30 minutes south of Burlington near Charlotte, Vermont. The summit at 308 meters offers elevated views above the lake valley light dome, with north-facing sightlines toward Burlington and beyond. The height advantage relative to the surrounding terrain makes it useful for borderline Kp nights when the aurora sits close to the horizon. The summit road closes at dusk in most conditions, so check the state park schedule before planning a night visit.

Smugglers' Notch area

A dark mountain pass in the Green Mountains near Jeffersonville, about 45 minutes northeast of Burlington. The narrow valley between Sterling Mountain and Spruce Peak has no significant artificial light sources, and the elevated terrain at around 1,000 meters puts observers above the Champlain Valley light dome. Route 108 through the notch closes in winter, but the surrounding area remains accessible. The notch itself blocks some horizon, so use the open meadows near the base of the pass.

Best time to see the northern lights in Burlington

Burlington's aurora season runs from late September through to March, when nights are long enough for truly dark skies. The equinox months, September and March, bring a natural boost in geomagnetic activity, making them statistically the best of the season. Summer months bring too much twilight for aurora to be visible at this latitude.

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

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 Burlington's latitude.

April through August brings persistent astronomical twilight that washes out aurora completely. Even strong events (Kp 6+) remain invisible during this period because the sky never gets dark enough.

Other USA aurora forecasts

← USA overview

Portland

Unlikely

Maine, Cape Elizabeth coast, Acadia 3 hrs north

~53°N mag. lat. Kp 4-5

Vermont

Unlikely

Northeast Kingdom, Bortle 2-3 near Quebec

~55°N mag. lat. Kp 5-6

New Hampshire

Unlikely

Coos County, Connecticut Lakes area

~55°N mag. lat. Kp 5-6

Northern Lights USA

USA-wide aurora forecast hub.

Northern Lights Portland, Maine Tonight

Portland - Maine's aurora gateway with Atlantic dark sky access.

Northern Lights Vermont

Vermont statewide aurora forecast and dark sky locations.

Northern Lights New Hampshire

New Hampshire aurora forecast and White Mountains dark sky guide.

What Is the Kp Index?

What Kp 4-5 means for aurora viewing at 53° magnetic latitude in Vermont.

Common questions

Aurora watching from Burlington and the Lake Champlain valley.

What Kp is needed to see aurora from Burlington, Vermont?

Burlington sits at around 53° magnetic latitude, placing it in the Kp 4-5 range as a threshold. The Kp index measures global geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours. At Kp 4, aurora may appear on the northern horizon on very clear nights from the darkest spots around the city. Kp 5 events bring more reliable overhead activity and visible color. The May 2024 Kp 8-9 storm produced widespread aurora visible across all of Vermont.

Where are the best spots to watch aurora near Lake Champlain?

North Beach Park is the most accessible option - it faces north over open water and takes five minutes to reach from downtown. For darker conditions, the stretch of shoreline north of Burlington toward Malletts Bay and Colchester Point has less street lighting and faces the same direction. Sand Bar State Park in Milton, about 15 miles north, offers a wide north-facing shoreline on the causeway connecting the mainland to South Hero Island and sits in noticeably darker conditions than the city itself.

Is Burlington or Portland, Maine a better base for aurora watching in New England?

Portland sits at a marginally lower magnetic latitude, meaning it typically needs a slightly stronger storm. Burlington's Lake Champlain orientation gives a north-facing water horizon that Portland's urban coastline lacks - most of Portland's good aurora spots require driving south to Cape Elizabeth or north toward Acadia. For urban accessibility to a north-facing dark sky position, Burlington has a small advantage. For the overall quality of nearby dark sky terrain, Maine's extensive rural north gives Portland an edge on strong storm nights.

How far south does aurora reach during major storms?

During G3 events (Kp 7), the auroral oval typically expands to roughly 50° magnetic latitude, putting Vermont comfortably inside the zone for overhead activity. The G5 storm of May 2024 extended visible aurora to 40° magnetic latitude and below, making it visible across all of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Burlington at 53° magnetic latitude sees aurora on a higher fraction of storm nights than most New England cities, and the lake's open horizon helps at marginal thresholds.

What months are best for aurora viewing from Burlington?

The aurora season runs from September through April, when nights are sufficiently dark. March and September are statistically the most active geomagnetic months. Vermont's weather is the main variable - the state sees persistent cloud cover from Lake Champlain and Gulf of St. Lawrence moisture systems in fall and early winter. February and March tend to combine better sky clarity with solid geomagnetic odds. Clear winter nights also come with temperatures well below freezing, so dress in layers beyond what feels necessary.