Northern lights in Great Falls tonight
Montana, USA · 54° magnetic latitude · Kp 5 threshold
Kp 1 is well below the Kp 5 threshold needed for aurora to be visible from Great Falls.
7-day outlook for Great Falls
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Great Falls sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 54°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 5 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 5, visibility is possible from Great Falls 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 Great Falls
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Giant Springs State Park
Get directions ↗3 miles northeast of downtown along the Missouri River. The north-facing position sits east of the city light dome, with the river cottonwood corridor absorbing the ambient glow from downtown. Open land extends north toward Canada with minimal settlements. One of the closest genuinely dark positions to Great Falls's city center.
Belt Creek canyon
Get directions ↗30 miles southeast via US-89 toward Monarch in the Little Belt Mountains. The canyon terrain drops into Bortle 3 conditions quickly once you leave the plains. The elevated mountain terrain provides a dark sky above the surrounding plateau, and the creek valley itself blocks most horizon-level light from the city. The drive on US-89 passes through open range with no towns between Great Falls and Monarch.
Highwood Mountains
Get directions ↗35 miles east of Great Falls off US-87. The isolated range rises above the surrounding plains with Bortle 2-3 conditions on the north side of the range. The elevation gain above the flatlands removes any residual light from Great Falls entirely. Forest Service roads in summer access the upper elevations. The plains-to-mountain transition makes this one of the more distinctive visual foregrounds in north-central Montana.
Best time to see the northern lights in Great Falls
At 54°N magnetic latitude, Great Falls 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 Great Falls'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.
Up to 8 locations
How often does the aurora appear in Great Falls?
Average nights per month the Kp reached Great Falls's threshold of 5+, from 15 years of geomagnetic data (2010–2024).
Counts the Kp 5+ threshold only - cloud cover and local darkness are not included.
Kp data: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, CC BY 4.0
Plan your trip to Great Falls
Best window
The August to October window averages 4 aurora nights - the strongest consecutive stretch of the year.
How long to stay
Aurora at this latitude requires patience - allow as many nights as possible during March.
Related pages
Northern Lights USA
USA-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Whitefish Tonight
Whitefish - Glacier National Park access at 55° magnetic latitude.
Read →Northern Lights Bozeman Tonight
Bozeman - Gallatin Valley dark sky at 54° magnetic latitude.
Read →Northern Lights Montana
Montana statewide aurora forecast and dark sky guide.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
What Kp 5 means for aurora viewing at 54° geomagnetic latitude.
Read →Aurora photographs from Great Falls
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Great Falls 
Aurora over Great Falls 
Aurora over Great Falls 
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