An alert when the aurora can reach your own sky, the hours it is dark enough, and a camera that stacks a sharp shot.
AuroraCue: Aurora ForecastAn alert when the aurora can reach your own sky, the hours it is dark enough, and a camera that stacks a sharp shot.
Northern lights tonight in Minnesota
Tonight the forecast peak is Kp 3.7. From northern Minnesota: unlikely; watch for an upgrade. From Minneapolis: not expected.
The next three nights
| Night (9 pm to 3 am) | Peak Kp | Northern Minnesota | Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4 | 3.7 | Unlikely; watch for an upgrade | Not expected |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 2.0 | Not expected | Not expected |
| Fri, Nov 6 | n/a | No forecast yet | No forecast yet |
What Minnesota needs
The aurora reaches the northern edge of Minnesota at about Kp 4.0, and Minneapolis at about Kp 6.0. Kp is NOAA's 0-9 index of geomagnetic activity; the higher it goes, the farther south the aurora can be seen.
How to see it
- Get away from city lights and face north, with a clear view of the horizon.
- The best hours are usually 10 pm to 2 am, and clouds hide everything, so check the sky too.
- A phone camera on a long exposure often shows color the eye misses.
Northern lights tonight by city in Minnesota
From the cities that need the least Kp to the most:
- Hibbing: about Kp 4.9
- Bemidji: about Kp 5.0
- Grand Rapids: about Kp 5.0
- Hermantown: about Kp 5.2
- Duluth: about Kp 5.2
- Cloquet: about Kp 5.2
- Moorhead: about Kp 5.3
- Brainerd: about Kp 5.4
- Fergus Falls: about Kp 5.5
- Alexandria: about Kp 5.7
- Sartell: about Kp 5.8
- Cambridge: about Kp 5.8
- Sauk Rapids: about Kp 5.8
- North Branch: about Kp 5.8
- St. Cloud: about Kp 5.8
- East Bethel: about Kp 5.9
- Big Lake: about Kp 5.9
- Elk River: about Kp 5.9
- Monticello: about Kp 5.9
- Forest Lake: about Kp 5.9
- Ham Lake: about Kp 5.9
- Ramsey: about Kp 5.9
- Andover: about Kp 5.9
- Otsego: about Kp 5.9
- Anoka: about Kp 5.9
- Hugo: about Kp 5.9
- Dayton: about Kp 6.0
- St. Michael: about Kp 6.0
- Coon Rapids: about Kp 6.0
- Blaine: about Kp 6.0
- Rogers: about Kp 6.0
- Champlin: about Kp 6.0
- Lino Lakes: about Kp 6.0
- Buffalo: about Kp 6.0
- Mounds View: about Kp 6.0
- Brooklyn Park: about Kp 6.0
- Maple Grove: about Kp 6.0
- Shoreview: about Kp 6.0
- Fridley: about Kp 6.0
- Stillwater: about Kp 6.0
- White Bear Lake: about Kp 6.0
- New Brighton: about Kp 6.0
- Vadnais Heights: about Kp 6.0
- Plymouth: about Kp 6.0
- Minneapolis: about Kp 6.0
- St. Paul: about Kp 6.1
- Woodbury: about Kp 6.1
- Minnetonka: about Kp 6.1
- Edina: about Kp 6.1
- Eden Prairie: about Kp 6.1
- Bloomington: about Kp 6.1
- Eagan: about Kp 6.1
- Burnsville: about Kp 6.1
- Apple Valley: about Kp 6.2
- Lakeville: about Kp 6.2
- Rochester: about Kp 6.5
Forecast: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center 3-day Kp forecast, refreshed every few hours. The visibility rule is approximate.