Northern lights in Missouri tonight
The aurora forecast for Missouri, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, how dark it gets, the Moon and the clouds, for the north of the state (Kirksville) where the odds are best.
Clouds in the way Friday, October 30
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 5. Kirksville (north Missouri) needs about Kp 7 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 91%. The Moon is 68% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 PM | Twilight | 5.00 | 77% | down | Not dark yet |
| 8 PM | Dark | 5.00 | 87% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 9 PM | Dark | 5.00 | 93% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 10 PM | Dark | 4.67 | 91% | down | Clouds in the way |
| 11 PM | Dark | 4.67 | 81% | 8° | Clouds in the way |
| 12 AM | Dark | 4.67 | 92% | 18° | Clouds in the way |
| 1 AM | Dark | 4.33 | 81% | 29° | Clouds in the way |
| 2 AM | Dark | 4.33 | 92% | 40° | Clouds in the way |
| 3 AM | Dark | 4.33 | 95% | 51° | Clouds in the way |
| 4 AM | Dark | 4.00 | 95% | 61° | Clouds in the way |
| 5 AM | Dark | 4.00 | 94% | 71° | Clouds in the way |
| 6 AM | Dark | 4.00 | 96% | 75° | Clouds in the way |
| 7 AM | Twilight | 3.00 | 96% | 70° | 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 Missouri
The farther north (in magnetic terms) you stand, the lower the Kp you need. From Kirksville, 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 Missouri
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 Kirksville. Clouds are not counted, so the real number of nights with a visible aurora is lower. Over the last 10 years the average was 1.6 nights a year; in 2025 it was 5.
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 Kirksville 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 Kirksville |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Missouri
Missouri sees the aurora during strong storms, with northern Missouri, around Kirksville and the farm counties near Iowa, holding the best odds. Kansas City and St. Louis spill a lot of light, so the trick is getting north of them. Summer humidity often softens faint displays.
Open farmland north of the river towns gives clean views north. Pick a spot with no town on the northern horizon.
- Thousand Hills State Park: lake state park just west of Kirksville
- Pershing State Park: prairie and wetland state park near Laclede, north central Missouri
- Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge: wetland refuge in the northwest corner near Mound City
Cities in Missouri
Nearby states
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in Missouri?
Yes, on active nights. From Kirksville it takes about Kp 7, which happened on about 1.6 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.