Northern lights in Cincinnati tonight
The aurora forecast for Cincinnati, Ohio, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, darkness, the Moon and the cloud forecast for the city.
Clouds in the way Sunday, November 1
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 3. Cincinnati needs about Kp 8 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 89%. The Moon is 46% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 PM | Dark | 2.67 | 90% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 8 PM | Dark | 2.67 | 86% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 9 PM | Dark | 2.67 | 92% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 10 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 95% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 11 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 82% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 12 AM | Dark | 3.00 | 90% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 1 AM | Dark | 3.00 | 91% | 9° | Clouds in the way |
| 2 AM | Dark | 3.00 | 91% | 20° | Clouds in the way |
| 3 AM | Dark | 3.00 | 90% | 32° | Clouds in the way |
| 4 AM | Dark | 2.67 | 90% | 43° | Clouds in the way |
| 5 AM | Dark | 2.67 | 87% | 53° | Clouds in the way |
| 6 AM | Dark | 2.67 | 89% | 62° | Clouds in the way |
Forecast from NOAA SWPC (Kp, 3-hour blocks) and the National Weather Service (sky cover), checked when this page was built. The page updates itself when it can reach our data feed.
What Kp you need in Cincinnati
The farther north (in magnetic terms) you stand, the lower the Kp you need. From Cincinnati, an aurora usually shows low on the northern horizon once Kp reaches about 8; overhead displays need about two steps more. A phone camera in night mode often records it one step earlier than the eye. How we estimate this: our method.
How often the aurora reaches Cincinnati
Our own count from the official Kp archive: on how many nights each year the Kp index reached about 8 or more while it was dark at Cincinnati. Clouds are not counted, so the real number of nights with a visible aurora is lower. Over the last 10 years the average was 0.8 nights a year; in 2025 it was 2.
Data: Kp index since 1932, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences (Matzka et al., 2021), CC BY 4.0. Darkness computed by us for each 3-hour interval (Sun 12° or more below the horizon).
The next 27 days
NOAA's 27-day outlook has no day with a largest Kp near the 8 that Cincinnati needs. The outlook repeats the Sun's 27-day rotation and cannot see sudden storms, so check the 3-day forecast too.
| Day (UTC) | Largest Kp | At Cincinnati |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Nov 1 | 4 | Unlikely |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 3 | Unlikely |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Wed, Nov 4 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 3 | Unlikely |
| Fri, Nov 6 | 3 | Unlikely |
| Sat, Nov 7 | 3 | Unlikely |
| Sun, Nov 8 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Mon, Nov 9 | 4 | Unlikely |
| Tue, Nov 10 | 3 | Unlikely |
First 10 days shown. Full table: 27-day aurora forecast.
Where to watch in Cincinnati
Cincinnati sits in the Ohio River valley, which hides part of the northern horizon and holds summer haze. Aurora shows up here only in strong storms. The flat farm country of southwest Ohio, north of the I-275 loop, is noticeably darker.
Choose a reservoir or open field north of the city where the horizon is low and flat.
- Caesar Creek State Park: lake state park near Waynesville, about 45 miles northeast
- Hueston Woods State Park: lake and forest state park near Oxford, about 40 miles northwest
For the darkest skies in the state, see northern lights in Ohio.
Nearby cities
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in Cincinnati, OH?
Yes, on active nights. From Cincinnati it takes about Kp 8, which happened on about 0.8 nights a year over the last 10 years (before clouds).
What time is best?
Usually between 10 pm and 2 am local time, when the sky is fully dark and your location faces the night side of the auroral oval. Storms can bring it earlier or later.
Which way should I look?
North, toward a low, open horizon away from city lights. In strong storms the aurora can climb higher or appear overhead.
Is this an official forecast?
No. It is our estimate built from NOAA's Kp forecast, the National Weather Service sky cover forecast and the Sun and Moon positions. It is not a promise.
Sources: Kp forecast and 27-day outlook: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (public domain). Sky cover: National Weather Service (public domain). Kp archive: GFZ, CC BY 4.0. Coordinates: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer. Magnetic latitude: our calculation from the IGRF-14 model of Earth's magnetic field. Sun and Moon: Astronomy Engine. Unofficial estimates, not a guarantee.
Page checked: November 1, 2026.