Northern Lights Alert: Exact Times, Best Viewing Spots & Live Forecast for Tonight's Spectacular Aurora

A surge of solar wind from an Earth-facing coronal hole is ruffling our planet’s magnetic field this evening, and forecasters say sky-watchers have a solid shot at catching the aurora borealis. According to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center’s Aurora Dashboard, geomagnetic activity could briefly reach G1 (Kp 5) levels overnight, expanding the auroral oval farther south than usual. Independent real-time modeling by Soft Serve News pegs the short-term Kp around 4–5 through the midnight hours, classifying conditions as “active” and promising vivid arcs and pulsing curtains for those under clear skies. Best windows tonight • Peak viewing: 10 p.m.–2 a.m. local time, when Earth’s night side is optimally aligned with incoming solar wind. • Early alerts: Monitor the Kp index—anything sustained at 4 or higher greatly improves odds south of 50° N. Where to look 1. Canada & Alaska: From Yukon and Northwest Territories clear down to southern Ontario and the Prairies. 2. United States: Northern tier states—Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern New England—could see green glows overhead; areas as far south as Iowa or Ohio may glimpse a low, faint arc on the northern horizon if Kp spikes to 5. 3. Europe: Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England, Scandinavia and Iceland sit squarely beneath the predicted oval; parts of Germany, the Netherlands and Poland have a chance at horizon displays during stronger bursts. Viewing tips for tonight’s northern lights forecast • Get dark and look north: Drive 20–30 minutes away from city glare and let your eyes adjust for at least 15 minutes. • Watch the Bz: A negative (south-pointing) Bz component in live solar-wind data usually signals brighter auroras within 30–40 minutes. • Use the Ovation map: The live NOAA overlay updates every 5 minutes and shows where the oval is thickening in real time. • Camera boost: Smartphone night modes or a DSLR at ISO 1600+, f/2.8 and 5- to 10-second exposures capture color your eyes may miss. • Clouds matter more than Kp: Check satellite loops and aim for clear northern horizons; thin cloud can mute faint auroras. Why the show now? We are heading into the downslope of Solar Cycle 25’s maximum, when coronal holes and solar storms fire off faster, denser solar-wind streams. Those streams tangle with Earth’s magnetosphere, supercharging the polar sky with neon greens and, during stronger substorms, pinks and purples. Tonight’s disturbance is mild by geomagnetic-storm standards, yet strong enough to paint the heavens well beyond the Arctic Circle. Bottom line: With an “active” Kp forecast of 4–5 and a potential G1 jump, tonight offers one of the best northern lights forecasts so far this month. Grab a coat, head north, and keep your eyes—or camera—on the sky between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. for your chance to witness nature’s electric light show.