Northern lights in Pittsburgh tonight
The aurora forecast for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, darkness, the Moon and the cloud forecast for the city.
Unlikely Friday, October 30
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 5. Pittsburgh needs about Kp 7 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 38%. The Moon is 68% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 PM | Twilight | 1.67 | 12% | down | Not dark yet |
| 8 PM | Dark | 5.00 | 17% | down | Unlikely |
| 9 PM | Dark | 5.00 | 10% | down | Unlikely |
| 10 PM | Dark | 5.00 | 20% | down | Unlikely |
| 11 PM | Dark | 4.67 | 39% | 7° | Unlikely |
| 12 AM | Dark | 4.67 | 29% | 17° | Unlikely |
| 1 AM | Dark | 4.67 | 50% | 28° | Unlikely |
| 2 AM | Dark | 4.33 | 43% | 39° | Unlikely |
| 3 AM | Dark | 4.33 | 47% | 50° | Unlikely |
| 4 AM | Dark | 4.33 | 59% | 60° | Unlikely |
| 5 AM | Dark | 4.00 | 57% | 70° | Unlikely |
| 6 AM | Dark | 4.00 | 52% | 74° | Unlikely |
| 7 AM | Twilight | 4.00 | 46% | 71° | Not dark yet |
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 Pittsburgh
The farther north (in magnetic terms) you stand, the lower the Kp you need. From Pittsburgh, an aurora usually shows low on the northern horizon once Kp reaches about 7; 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 Pittsburgh
Our own count from the official Kp archive: on how many nights each year the Kp index reached about 7 or more while it was dark at Pittsburgh. Clouds are not counted, so the real number of nights with a visible aurora is lower. Over the last 10 years the average was 1.1 nights a year; in 2025 it was 3.
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 7 that Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh |
|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 30 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 5 | Unlikely |
| 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 |
First 10 days shown. Full table: 27-day aurora forecast.
Where to watch in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's river valleys and steep hills block much of the low northern sky, and the metro glow fills what is left. Displays here come with strong storms, and most local photos are taken an hour or more north of the city. The lake country of Butler and Mercer counties is the usual first stop.
Get out of the valleys and onto a ridge or open shoreline where nothing rises to the north.
- Moraine State Park: large lake state park in Butler County, about 40 miles north
- Cook Forest State Park: old growth forest state park in the Pennsylvania Wilds, about 85 miles northeast
For the darkest skies in the state, see northern lights in Pennsylvania.
Nearby cities
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in Pittsburgh, PA?
Yes, on active nights. From Pittsburgh it takes about Kp 7, which happened on about 1.1 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: October 30, 2026.