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aurorahour

Northern lights by state

Every state with the Kp it needs for the aurora to show low on the northern horizon, counted from the north of the state, and how many nights a year the Kp index reached that level after dark (2016 to 2025 average, clouds not counted).

Short answer: Alaska sees the aurora on most clear, dark nights. The northern tier (Washington to Maine, the upper Midwest) needs a moderate storm, about Kp 4 to 6. The central states need Kp 7 or more, and the Deep South only gets it in extreme storms like May 10-11, 2024.

StateKp needed (north of the state)Nights a year
AlaskaKp 0 to 1 (most dark, clear nights)248.3
MinnesotaKp 464.2
North DakotaKp 431
MaineKp 435.1
MontanaKp 429.6
MichiganKp 423
WisconsinKp 523
IdahoKp 511.5
VermontKp 515.8
WashingtonKp 510.8
New YorkKp 510.6
New HampshireKp 510.6
South DakotaKp 59.2
WyomingKp 64
MassachusettsKp 64.5
IowaKp 63.1
OregonKp 62.9
PennsylvaniaKp 62.9
Rhode IslandKp 63.2
ConnecticutKp 62.4
IllinoisKp 62.5
NebraskaKp 72.3
OhioKp 72.4
IndianaKp 72.4
New JerseyKp 71.7
West VirginiaKp 71.1
DelawareKp 71.1
MarylandKp 70.8
MissouriKp 70.7
UtahKp 80.7
VirginiaKp 80.8
ColoradoKp 80.5
KentuckyKp 80.6
KansasKp 80.3
NevadaKp 80.2
CaliforniaKp 90.2
TennesseeKp 90.1
North CarolinaKp 90.1
ArkansasKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
OklahomaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
New MexicoKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
South CarolinaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
AlabamaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
GeorgiaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
MississippiKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
TexasKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
ArizonaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
LouisianaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare
FloridaKp 9 (extreme storms only)rare

Nights a year: our count from the GFZ Kp archive (CC BY 4.0), nights when Kp reached the level after dark. How we estimate the Kp needed: method.

Cities