This page has not refreshed for a while, so the numbers may be old. Check NOAA SWPC directly. NOAA SWPC
Northern Lights TrackerLIVE AURORA MAP · WHICH US STATES CAN SEE IT
estimated · 11 PM–2 AM ET · 24 h max 3.67
Peak in the next 72 hours
Wed, Oct 14, 2–5 AM ET
1–4 AM CT · 12–3 AM MT · 11 PM–2 AM PT · 10 PM–1 AM AKT
NOAA watches
No watchNo geomagnetic storm watch in effect for the coming days. Watches usually go out one to three days before a CME arrives.
Best shot: tonight (Oct 13 into Oct 14). If NOAA's forecast holds (Kp 3.67 after dark): low on the northern horizon from Minnesota, North Dakota and Michigan. Prime time: 2–5 AM ET, 1–4 AM CT, 12–3 AM MT and 11 PM–2 AM PT.
Drag to move the view line and the oval. Ignores daylight.
How to read it. Now: the glow is NOAA's OVATION model, the chance of aurora overhead in the next 30 to 90 minutes, drawn as published. Forecast nights: there is no OVATION run that far ahead, so the oval is placed with NOAA's Kp-to-latitude table for that night's Kp; its southern edge is NOAA's, its brightness is only illustrative. The shimmer is decoration and never pushes the glow beyond the data. Yellow line: the furthest south you could catch it low on the northern horizon. Purple states: the oval reaches them while they are dark. Map and math are ours; the forecast is NOAA's.
Kp needed, state by state
Measured at each state's northern edge, the spot closest to the aurora. Colors follow the night picked on the map.
The next 72 hours
NOAA's Kp forecast in 3-hour blocks. Eastern time first, Pacific underneath. The letters light up where it is dark: E, C, M, P and AK for Alaska.
Tuesday, October 13 · Eastern time
Wednesday, October 14 · Eastern time
Thursday, October 15 · Eastern time
Friday, October 16 · Eastern time
How to actually see it
Four things decide it, and only one of them is the Sun.
Go dark
Get away from city lights. A bright Moon washes it out too: it dims how the aurora looks, not the aurora itself. And you need clear skies, since the show happens far above the clouds.
Source: NOAA SWPC, Tips on Viewing the Aurora · AuroraFace north
Find an open view to the north, ideally from a hill. From a good vantage point you can catch an aurora that is up to 1,000 km (600 miles) further north.
Source: NOAA SWPCTime it
The best displays are usually within an hour or two of midnight, 10 PM to 2 AM local time. The stronger the storm, the wider that window gets.
Source: NOAA SWPCUse your phone
Point the camera north and take a night-mode shot. Cameras are more sensitive than eyes, so a gray glow can come out green on the screen.
Source: NASA, We Asked a NASA ExpertHow the Kp index works
Kp runs from 0 to 9 and measures how hard Earth's magnetic field is being shaken, worldwide, in 3-hour blocks. Kp 5 is a G1 storm, Kp 9 a G5. As it climbs, the aurora oval slides south: about 2 degrees of geomagnetic latitude per Kp step, according to NOAA.
Geomagnetic latitude is not the one on your map. The magnetic pole sits off toward northeastern Canada, so the eastern U.S. is magnetically further north than the West at the same latitude. That is why Maine needs less Kp than Washington state.
Kp and the edge of the auroral oval, in geomagnetic latitude. Source: NOAA SWPC. Storm levels: NOAA Space Weather Scales.
Kp needed in your city
Our calculation: NOAA's Kp table applied to each city's geomagnetic latitude (dipole of the World Magnetic Model 2025, pole at 80.85°N 72.76°W, NOAA NCEI). Horizon = one Kp step below overhead.
In NOAA's own words
Watches, warnings and the forecast reasoning, quoted as published by the Space Weather Prediction Center.
Warning or alert in effect
EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
Valid until: 2026 Oct 14 1200 UTC
Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.Why NOAA expects it
Rationale: No G1 (Minor) or greater geomagnetic storms are expected. No significant transient or recurrent solar wind features are forecast.NOAA SWPC, 3-Day Forecast, issued Oct 14, 00:30 UTC.
Questions
Can I see the northern lights tonight in the US?
NOAA's forecast gives tonight Kp 3.67 after dark. Low on the northern horizon from Minnesota, North Dakota and Michigan.
What Kp do I need to see the aurora where I live?
NOAA's rule of thumb: at Kp 0 the edge of the auroral oval sits near 66 degrees geomagnetic latitude, and it moves about 2 degrees closer to the equator for every Kp step, down to 48 degrees at Kp 9. We work out the geomagnetic latitude of every state and city and read the Kp off that. One Kp step less is usually enough to catch it low on the northern horizon.
What does a G2 geomagnetic storm watch mean?
NOAA expects a moderate geomagnetic storm, Kp 6. On NOAA's scale, a G2 storm has put the aurora as far south as New York and Idaho, typically around 55 degrees geomagnetic latitude.
What time is best to look?
NOAA says the best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight, between 10 PM and 2 AM local time. In strong storms the window stretches into the evening and the early morning.
Why does my phone see it when I can't?
The camera soaks up light for longer than your eye does. A NASA aurora scientist puts it simply: a smartphone helps confirm a dim aurora because cameras are more sensitive than our eyes.
How often does this page update?
Every 30 minutes we pull NOAA's Kp forecast, alerts and the OVATION aurora model again. The Kp forecast comes in 3-hour blocks and can shift once the coronal mass ejection actually arrives.
Sources: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center: Planetary K-index, Aurora 30-minute forecast (OVATION), alerts, watches and warnings, 3-Day Forecast, aurora dashboard. Moon phase, darkness and geomagnetic latitudes are our own calculations. This page refreshes every 30 minutes.