Northern lights tonight
On a strong night the northern sky glows green and red. Tonight's outlook from NOAA says how strong.
Tonight: NOAA expects more activity in the far north. That is good news for Alaska and northern Canada.
Where to look: North, low on the horizon, from the darkest open spot you have.
What you'll see: Often a faint grey-green glow to the eye. Your phone camera shows more colour.
Check tonight's sky for your town
Town cloud forecasts use National Weather Service data.
NOAA's northern lights outlook
Tonight
6 PM–6 AM Central
Active in the far north
NOAA expects more activity in the far north. That is good news for Alaska and northern Canada.
Higher bars mean the lights can reach farther south. Tomorrow night
6 PM–6 AM Central
Minor storm
NOAA expects a minor storm. Storms this size are commonly seen from places like northern Michigan and Maine.
Higher bars mean the lights can reach farther south. The night after
6 PM–6 AM Central
NOAA's outlook is unavailable for these hours.
This is activity for the whole planet. It is not a forecast for your town.
Is my sky dark tonight, and how much cloud?
Pick your town for your dark hours, your Moon times and tonight's forecast cloud.
What does the outlook mean?
The Sun sends out bursts of charged particles. When a burst hits Earth, the sky near the poles lights up. A bigger hit pushes the lights farther south.
NOAA scores the activity from 0 to 9. The score is called Kp. Below 5 is quiet for most of the US. From 5 up, NOAA calls it a storm.
The glow itself sits 50 to 310 miles above the ground. That is why a display over Canada can show low on your northern horizon.
Can I see them from my town tonight?
The activity has to reach far enough south, and your sky has to be dark and free of cloud.
The two are shown side by side. The outlook cannot predict a sighting in a single town.
What Kp is, and what it is not
NOAA's planetary outlook, your area's dark hours, Moon and cloud, in one place. No local aurora viewing prediction.
Kp is NOAA's planetary index of geomagnetic activity on a 0–9 scale, forecast in three-hour bins for the whole Earth.
It is not a forecast for a single town. Aurora detection at a given place depends on latitude, local darkness, cloud, horizon and the actual storm, and this page does not estimate that.
This page shows the NOAA bins for your dark hours next to your own darkness, Moon and cloud facts so you can read them together.
Calculation and source notes
NOAA SWPC bulletin issued Nov 14, 6:30 PM CST. NOAA three-day forecast. Source SHA-256: c73a89fdd687.
Full darkness means Sun below −18° at a forecast-zone representative coordinate. Moon rise and set use the geometric centre at an ideal 0° horizon, without terrain or refraction. The start and end of darkness are approximate. Cloud values use fresh forecast data for the same area and local night.
How far south do they reach?
NOAA lists how far south each storm level has been seen.
These places are examples from past sightings. When a display is bright you can see it from about 600 miles away, low in the north.
When should I check again?
Nobody can name a date. NOAA's outlook covers three nights, and it can change within hours.
Big storms are more common around the March and September equinoxes. In 2027 they fall on March 20 and September 23.
The Moon is out of the way around each new Moon. Check the Moon phase or open the sky calendar.
NOAA's short-term map can show an arriving storm about 30 to 90 minutes ahead.
What time, and which way?
Look north. Find a spot with a low, open view that way, with town lights behind you.
The best hours are usually 10 PM to 2 AM. On a strong night the lights can start earlier and run later.
Your town's forecast cloud is in the tool above. Check Tonight for the wider forecast.
What will I really see?
With your eyes: Often less than the photos. A weak display looks like a pale grey-green arc or a patch that slowly shifts. A strong one shows moving curtains, and sometimes red or pink.
With your phone: In the dark your eyes barely see colour. A phone in night mode collects light for several seconds, so it can record green and red that you cannot. If you are unsure, try a photo of the northern sky.
With a camera: Try a tripod, a wide lens and an exposure of a few seconds. Adjust from there.
Keen watchers: Follow NOAA's short-term map on storm nights, and learn your own northern horizon in daylight.
Bottom line
Check NOAA's outlook and your cloud. If a storm is in play, face north from somewhere dark between 10 PM and 2 AM.
Fine print
NOAA's outlook is for the whole planet and comes from its three-day forecast. NOAA publishes the storm levels and the places named above. The link between a storm level and where the lights are seen is rough. Dark hours and Moon times are calculated for your area. Cloud is a forecast for tonight only. Local light pollution is outside those times.
Aurora outlook: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
Questions and answers
Can I see the northern lights tonight?
NOAA expects more activity in the far north. That is good news for Alaska and northern Canada. Pick your town to see your dark hours and cloud.
What does Kp mean?
Kp is NOAA’s 0 to 9 score for how disturbed Earth’s magnetic field is. From 5 up it counts as a storm, and the lights spread farther south.
Which direction do I look?
North, low on the horizon. In a very strong storm they can climb overhead.
What time is best?
Usually between 10 PM and 2 AM. It must be fully dark.
Why can my phone see them when I can’t?
Your eyes lose most colour in the dark. A phone in night mode gathers light for seconds and shows the green and red.
How much warning will I get?
NOAA gives a rough outlook up to three nights ahead. Its short-term map looks about 30 to 90 minutes ahead.