Northern lights in Los Angeles tonight
The aurora forecast for Los Angeles, California, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, darkness, the Moon and the cloud forecast for the city.
Unlikely Sunday, November 1
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 3. Los Angeles needs about Kp 9 (extreme storms only) to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 12%. The Moon is 45% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 PM | Dark | 2.67 | 8% | down | Unlikely |
| 7 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 8% | down | Unlikely |
| 8 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 8% | down | Unlikely |
| 9 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 8% | down | Unlikely |
| 10 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 13% | down | Unlikely |
| 11 PM | Dark | 3.00 | 13% | down | Unlikely |
| 12 AM | Dark | 3.00 | 13% | 4° | Unlikely |
| 1 AM | Dark | 2.67 | 13% | 16° | Unlikely |
| 2 AM | Dark | 2.67 | 13% | 27° | Unlikely |
| 3 AM | Dark | 2.67 | 13% | 39° | Unlikely |
| 4 AM | Dark | 2.00 | 17% | 51° | Unlikely |
| 5 AM | Dark | 2.00 | 17% | 62° | Unlikely |
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 Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA sits far from the magnetic pole. The aurora reaches it only in extreme geomagnetic storms, such as the one on May 10-11, 2024, and then mostly as a faint red or pink glow that a phone camera records better than the eye. How we estimate this: our method.
How often the aurora reaches Los Angeles
Between 2006 and 2025, the Kp index never went above what Los Angeles needs by eye: Kp tops out at 9, and only the strongest storms of a solar cycle bring the aurora this far south. The last ones were the G5 storm of May 10-11, 2024 and the G4 storm of October 10-11, 2024.
The next 27 days
NOAA's 27-day outlook has no day with a largest Kp near the 9 that Los Angeles 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 Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Los Angeles
From Los Angeles the aurora is extremely rare and almost never visible to the eye. In May 2024 a faint red glow showed up in long exposures from the mountains and deserts outside the basin. The marine layer and city glow make the coast and the basin itself a poor bet.
Get high in the mountains north of the basin, above the haze, and point the camera low to the north.
- Mount Pinos: high peak in Los Padres National Forest, about 80 miles northwest
- Joshua Tree National Park: desert national park about 130 miles east
For the darkest skies in the state, see northern lights in California.
Nearby cities
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in Los Angeles, CA?
Only in rare, extreme storms. The last time was May 10-11, 2024, when people across the southern US photographed it.
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.