Northern lights in San Francisco tonight
The aurora forecast for San Francisco, California, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, darkness, the Moon and the cloud forecast for the city.
Unlikely Monday, November 2
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 2. San Francisco needs about Kp 9 (extreme storms only) to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 71%. The Moon is 34% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 PM | Twilight | 1.67 | 82% | down | Not dark yet |
| 7 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 89% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 8 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 78% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 9 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 72% | down | Unlikely |
| 10 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 67% | down | Unlikely |
| 11 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 80% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 12 AM | Dark | 1.67 | 59% | down | Unlikely |
| 1 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 55% | down | Unlikely |
| 2 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 54% | 11° | Unlikely |
| 3 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 51% | 22° | Unlikely |
| 4 AM | Dark | 0.67 | 86% | 34° | Clouds in the way |
| 5 AM | Dark | 0.67 | 86% | 44° | Clouds in the way |
| 6 AM | Twilight | 0.67 | 86% | 54° | 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 San Francisco
San Francisco, 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 San Francisco
Between 2006 and 2025, the Kp index never went above what San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Wed, Nov 11 | 3 | Unlikely |
First 10 days shown. Full table: 27-day aurora forecast.
Where to watch in San Francisco
San Francisco sees the aurora only in rare, very strong storms. Summer fog and the bay area glow are the main obstacles. The best results come from high ground or the dark coast north of the Golden Gate, where a camera can pick up a red tint low in the north.
Climb above the fog layer and look north, away from the city and the East Bay lights.
- Mount Tamalpais State Park: mountain state park in Marin County, about 20 miles north
- Point Reyes National Seashore: coastal national seashore about 40 miles northwest
- Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: mountain state park in Sonoma County, about 60 miles north
For the darkest skies in the state, see northern lights in California.
Nearby cities
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in San Francisco, 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 2, 2026.