You can see the northern lights from the lower 48 US states when a geomagnetic storm pushes the auroral oval south, the sky is clear and you are somewhere dark with a view to the north. For the northern tier (Minnesota, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, North Dakota, Montana, Maine, Washington) that means roughly Kp 5 or more; for the middle of the country Kp 7; for the South Kp 8–9, which happens only a handful of times per solar cycle.
This page explains how to check tonight's odds quickly, what each storm level means by state, how to read NOAA's forecast in your time zone, and where to look. For the general method, see our northern lights forecast guide.
The two-minute check for tonight
- Is there a storm? Open our storm status page or NOAA SWPC's aurora dashboard. Look for a G1–G5 watch, warning or alert.
- Does it reach you? NOAA's experimental aurora viewline draws the southernmost line from which aurora might be seen low on the northern horizon tonight and tomorrow night. If you are north of the line, it is worth trying.
- Is it clear? Check your local National Weather Service cloud forecast and a satellite loop. Cloud ends most storm nights.
- Is it happening now? Our live map shows NOAA's 30-minute OVATION forecast; the expert panel shows whether the solar wind's Bz has turned south.
- Go north of town around 22:00, face north, and take a phone photo even if you see little.
What each storm level means, by state
NOAA's space weather scales describe how far south aurora has been seen at each storm level, together with how often each level occurs in an average 11-year solar cycle:
| NOAA level | Kp | Where aurora has been seen (NOAA) | Average per solar cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| G1, minor | 5 | Commonly visible at high latitudes, such as northern Michigan and Maine | About 1,700 times |
| G2, moderate | 6 | As low as New York and Idaho | About 600 times |
| G3, strong | 7 | As low as Illinois and Oregon | About 200 times |
| G4, severe | 8 | As low as Alabama and northern California | About 100 times |
| G5, extreme | 9 | As low as Florida and southern Texas | About 4 times |
"As low as" means at best, low on the northern horizon, on a clear and dark night, often more obvious on camera than by eye. In the northern tier, a G2 or G3 storm can bring curtains high into the sky.
Recent storms that reached the lower 48
- 10–11 May 2024: a G5 (extreme) storm, the first since October 2003, with aurora photographed across most of the United States.
- 10–11 October 2024: a G4 (severe) storm with widespread sightings deep into the South.
- 11–12 November 2025: a G4 storm; news outlets reported aurora photographed as far south as Texas and Florida.
- 19–20 January 2026: a G4 storm driven by a very fast CME; displays were widely reported, though weaker in some regions than forecast.
Storms like these are why "can I see the northern lights tonight?" trends across the US a few times a year. The solar cycle has passed its peak, but strong storms remain possible in 2026–2028; see Solar Cycle 25 after the maximum.
Reading NOAA's forecast in your time zone
NOAA's 3-day forecast lists predicted Kp in three-hour blocks in UTC. Here is what the evening blocks mean in standard time (add one hour during daylight saving time):
| UTC block | Eastern (UTC−5) | Central (UTC−6) | Mountain (UTC−7) | Pacific (UTC−8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00–03 UTC | 19:00–22:00 | 18:00–21:00 | 17:00–20:00 | 16:00–19:00 |
| 03–06 UTC | 22:00–01:00 | 21:00–00:00 | 20:00–23:00 | 19:00–22:00 |
| 06–09 UTC | 01:00–04:00 | 00:00–03:00 | 23:00–02:00 | 22:00–01:00 |
| 09–12 UTC | 04:00–07:00 | 03:00–06:00 | 02:00–05:00 | 01:00–04:00 |
So in Michigan or Maine, the 03–06 and 06–09 UTC blocks matter most; in Washington or Oregon, the 06–09 and 09–12 UTC blocks. US clocks fall back on 1 November 2026 and spring forward on 14 March 2027.
Where to look in the northern tier
The principle is a dark, unobstructed view to the north, ideally over water or open country. Some well-known places:
- Michigan's Upper Peninsula: the Keweenaw Peninsula (Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor) and the Lake Superior shore around Marquette. The Keweenaw Mountain Lodge all-sky camera and the Marquette aurora cam show the sky in real time.
- Minnesota: the North Shore of Lake Superior, the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park.
- Isle Royale, Michigan: remote, but its National Park Service webcam is a handy check.
- North Dakota, Montana and Idaho: big open horizons; Glacier National Park in Montana.
- Maine: Aroostook County, the Katahdin region and Acadia National Park.
- Washington: the San Juan Islands, the coast north of Seattle and dark spots in the Cascades.
- Pennsylvania: Cherry Springs State Park, a well-known dark sky park, for strong storms.
Our alerts work for any location you choose, including these, and score cloud, darkness and moon as well as activity.
What you will see
At mid-latitudes the aurora usually appears as a grey-white or faintly green glow low in the north, sometimes with vertical rays. Your eyes are poor at colour in the dark, so it may look like a pale cloud that does not move with the wind. A phone in night mode will often show green with red or magenta above: the red light comes from oxygen 200 km or more up, which is the part you see over the curve of the Earth from far south of the oval. Our phone photography guide has settings.
During the strongest storms the aurora can rise overhead and fill the sky, as it did for many people in May 2024. Those nights are rare; most storm nights in the lower 48 are a glow on the horizon.
Why storm nights disappoint
- Cloud. A G4 storm under overcast is invisible.
- Light pollution. A city to your north hides a low glow. Drive 30–60 minutes away from town.
- Timing. Storms come in bursts. The best 20 minutes can arrive at 23:00 or 03:00. Set an alert instead of waiting outside all night.
- The Moon. A bright moon washes out faint aurora. The 2026–27 full moons fall around 24 November, 24 December, 22 January, 20 February and 22 March.
- CME timing. A storm forecast for tonight can arrive early, late or weaker than expected; watch Bz on the expert panel.
Want aurora on most clear nights instead?
Then go to the oval. In the US that means Alaska: Fairbanks sees aurora on most clear, dark nights from late August to April. See northern lights in Alaska, or compare Canada's Yellowknife in northern lights in Canada.
Frequently asked questions
Can I see the northern lights tonight from the US?
Only if three things line up: raised geomagnetic activity reaching your latitude, a clear sky and real darkness. Check NOAA SWPC's aurora viewline and Kp forecast for tonight, your local cloud forecast, and then look north from somewhere away from city lights between about 22:00 and 02:00.
What Kp is needed to see the northern lights in the US?
Roughly Kp 5 for the northern tier, such as northern Michigan, Minnesota and Maine; Kp 6 for places like New York and Idaho; Kp 7 for Illinois and Oregon; Kp 8 for Alabama and northern California; and Kp 9 for Florida and southern Texas, following NOAA's own descriptions of G1–G5 storms.
Which US states can see the northern lights most often?
Alaska, by far. In the lower 48, states along the Canadian border with dark northern horizons see it most: Minnesota, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, North Dakota, Montana, northern Wisconsin, Maine and Washington.
Why did my phone show the aurora when I could not see it?
Phone cameras collect light for several seconds and keep their colour sensitivity in the dark, while your eyes do not. At mid-latitudes the aurora is often too faint to look green by eye but shows clearly on a night-mode photo.
Will there be more northern lights in the US in 2027?
Probably fewer than in 2024–2025, but not none. Solar Cycle 25 peaked in October 2024 and is declining slowly; strong storms still happen in the declining phase, as the G4 storms of November 2025 and January 2026 showed.