Aurora borealis forecast: can I see the northern lights tonight?
Free web tool: enter a US ZIP code to get an aurora (northern lights) visibility forecast for tonight. You can also use your location. The answer uses NOAA's Kp and aurora forecasts, darkness, cloud cover and moonlight for that spot. How it works.
Tonight (Sun Oct 18, 2026): peak forecast Kp 2.7. Too quiet for aurora outside Alaska tonight.
Northern lights tonight across the US
| City | Kp needed | Tonight's peak | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks, AK | 3.9 | 3.7 | Possible, low on the horizon |
| Anchorage, AK | 4.6 | 3.7 | Possible, low on the horizon |
| Seattle, WA | 6.4 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
| Spokane, WA | 6.3 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
| Portland, OR | 6.8 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
| Missoula, MT | 6.3 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
| Boise, ID | 7.0 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
| Bismarck, ND | 6.1 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
| Fargo, ND | 6.0 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Duluth, MN | 5.9 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Minneapolis, MN | 6.3 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Marquette, MI | 5.9 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Milwaukee, WI | 6.6 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Chicago, IL | 6.9 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Detroit, MI | 6.7 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Buffalo, NY | 6.6 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Burlington, VT | 6.3 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Portland, ME | 6.4 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Boston, MA | 6.7 | 2.7 | Unlikely |
| Denver, CO | 7.5 | 3.0 | Unlikely |
Get an email when the aurora is likely at your ZIP: free aurora alerts.
Kp needed comes from the NOAA Space Weather Scales, which give latitudes for Kp 6–9. Values for places north of about 55° geomagnetic latitude (including Alaska) are our extrapolation. NOAA notes that even at Kp 0 the edge of the auroral oval sits near 66° geomagnetic latitude, so interior Alaska can see aurora on quiet nights. How we calculate this.
Aurora forecast for the next 3 nights
- Night of Sun Oct 18, 2026: peak Kp 2.7.
- Night of Mon Oct 19, 2026: peak Kp 4.7 (G1 storm level).
- Night of Tue Oct 20, 2026: peak Kp 3.3.
Full 3-day aurora forecast and NOAA map
Space weather data from NOAA, updated . Refreshed every 5 minutes.