Can I see the northern lights tonight?
Mostly near the poles tonight. The forecast peaks at Kp 2.0 in the next 24 hours, which usually keeps the northern lights at high northern latitudes. A faint glow low on the horizon is possible from places like Winnipeg if the sky is dark and clear.
Updated 2 min ago from NOAA's Kp forecast. Latest observed Kp: 2.33 (2026-10-18 03:00 UTC). Your city's page adds tonight's clouds and Moon.
Best northern lights odds right now
2% cloudGo outside78Grande Prairie, Alberta
2% cloudGo outside73Oulu, Finland
10% cloudWorth a look61Sherwood Park, Alberta
0% cloudWorth a look61Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
1% cloudWorth a look60Edmonton, Alberta
2% cloudWorth a look59Umeå, Sweden
6% cloudWorth a look53Murmansk, Russia
47% cloudWorth a look51Trondheim, Norway
16% cloudWorth a look49Anchorage, Alaska
35% cloudMaybe
Tonight, city by city
The Kp a city usually needs to see the northern lights low on the horizon, against tonight's forecast. Clouds not included; open a city for its full score.
| City | Kp needed | Tonight (Kp 2.0) |
|---|---|---|
| Moscow, Russia | 5 | Unlikely tonight |
| London, United Kingdom | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| New York City, New York | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| Saint Petersburg, Russia | 3 | Unlikely tonight |
| Berlin, Germany | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| Kyiv, Ukraine | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| Chicago, Illinois | 6 | Unlikely tonight |
| Novosibirsk, Russia | 5 | Unlikely tonight |
| Astana, Kazakhstan | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| Stockholm, Sweden | 4 | Unlikely tonight |
| Yekaterinburg, Russia | 5 | Unlikely tonight |
| Calgary, Alberta | 3 | Unlikely tonight |
| Kazan, Russia | 5 | Unlikely tonight |
| Krasnoyarsk, Russia | 5 | Unlikely tonight |
| Seattle, Washington | 5 | Unlikely tonight |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 3 | Possible, low on the horizon |
| Denver, Colorado | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| Irkutsk, Russia | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
| Québec, Quebec | 4 | Unlikely tonight |
| Daxing’anling, China | 7 | Unlikely tonight |
Questions
Can I see the northern lights tonight?
It depends on three things: how strong tonight’s geomagnetic activity gets (the Kp index), how far your city is from the auroral zone, and whether your sky is clear and dark. This page shows the first two live; your city page adds the cloud forecast and the Moon.
What Kp do I need to see the aurora?
Roughly: Kp 1–3 for places under the auroral zone, Kp 5 for cities around 53° magnetic latitude, Kp 7 for around 48°, and Kp 8–9 for rare sightings much closer to the equator. These are rules of thumb; the aurora is often seen low on the horizon, and cameras pick it up before eyes do.
What time is best?
Usually within an hour or two of local midnight, but activity comes in bursts, so if a storm is forecast, keep checking from dusk to dawn.
Where should I look?
Face north, away from city lights, with a clear view of the horizon. A phone on night mode often shows colour your eyes can’t.
Looking for the other hemisphere? See the southern lights tonight.
Data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (public domain). Magnetic latitudes: AACGM-v2. Kp thresholds are our heuristic (how the score works). Independent; not endorsed by NOAA.
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