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Northern Lights Forecast

Northern Lights Tonight in Spokane, Washington

Live visibility odds for Spokane, combining the current geomagnetic Kp index with real local cloud cover, not just one or the other.

Tonight's chance of seeing aurora
8%
Unlikely
LocationSpokane, Washington
Geomagnetic Forecast · NOAA / NASA
Magnetic latitude53.8°
Confirmed Kp right nowKp 2.7
Weather Forecast · NWS (US)
Clear-sky estimate83% clear skies
For entertainment purposes only, not a guarantee of visibility. Don't plan travel or spending around this number alone.

What Kp do you need in Spokane?

Naked eye
Kp 6.5
A handful of nights a year
Camera, long exposure
Kp 3
Most clear nights of the year
Magnetic latitude
53.8°
Not the same as the 47.7° on a map — this is what actually decides it

Those frequencies are how often the geomagnetic threshold itself is reached, before weather. Cloud cover, moonlight and local light pollution all cut into it, which is why the live score at the top of this page multiplies the geomagnetic odds by tonight's actual sky over Spokane.

Which way to look from Spokane

Face north. From Spokane the auroral oval sits well to the north, so activity shows up as a glow low on the northern horizon rather than overhead — which means a clear, unobstructed northern view matters more here than total darkness does.

Best time of year

Aurora season in Spokane runs from late August through April, for the simple reason that you need genuine darkness and summer nights are too short and too bright. Activity clusters around the equinoxes — late September and late March are statistically the most active weeks of the year, an effect of how Earth's magnetic field lines up with the solar wind at those points in the orbit.

Will I see the aurora in Spokane tonight?

Right now, Spokane has a 8% chance based on tonight's real conditions: Kp 2.7 and 83% clear skies. Unlikely. This updates live, so check back closer to dark for the most accurate read, especially if the sky is currently cloudy where you are.

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A good Kp forecast isn't the whole story. See what else actually determines whether you'll see it →

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