Northern lights near me: tonight's aurora forecast by state
Yes, in 1 state. The planetary Kp index is 0.33 as of 1:56 PM EDT, reported by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center.
What is Kp?
A 0-9 scale called Kp rates the current disturbance of Earth's magnetic field. Its name comes from planetarische Kennziffer, German for planetary index. Thirteen observatories worldwide take the measurements. Higher values mean the aurora reaches further south. Most of the northern US needs a Kp of 5 or higher, while northern Alaska sees it at Kp 0. Full Kp guide.
On your device, find your state by ZIP or browser position, and you will get your state's aurora forecast plus the states beside it. Through the night, the Kp index and OVATION model from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center refresh each state's northern lights verdict.
Can you see the northern lights tonight?
The locator runs entirely in your browser, and your coordinates and ZIP code stay on your device.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center produces the Kp readings and aurora forecasts on this page. As US government works, they are not subject to copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105; this notice is the notice required by 17 U.S.C. 403. Mention of the center does not imply endorsement or affiliation; for attribution, see Data sources and attribution.