Northern lights in Montana tonight
The aurora forecast for Montana, hour by hour: the Kp index NOAA expects, how dark it gets, the Moon and the clouds, for the north of the state (Havre) where the odds are best.
Unlikely Thursday, October 29
The highest Kp expected after dark tonight is 2. Havre (north Montana) needs about Kp 4 to see the aurora low on the northern horizon, and the sky cover forecast after dark averages 72%. The Moon is 78% lit.
| Time | Sky | Kp | Clouds | Moon | Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 PM | Twilight | 2.00 | 73% | down | Not dark yet |
| 8 PM | Dark | 2.00 | 73% | down | Unlikely |
| 9 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 71% | 4° | Unlikely |
| 10 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 71% | 12° | Unlikely |
| 11 PM | Dark | 1.67 | 71% | 21° | Unlikely |
| 12 AM | Dark | 1.67 | 57% | 30° | Unlikely |
| 1 AM | Dark | 1.67 | 70% | 39° | Unlikely |
| 2 AM | Dark | 1.67 | 69% | 49° | Unlikely |
| 3 AM | Dark | 1.00 | 59% | 58° | Unlikely |
| 4 AM | Dark | 1.00 | 75% | 65° | Clouds in the way |
| 5 AM | Dark | 1.00 | 83% | 68° | Clouds in the way |
| 6 AM | Dark | 1.33 | 97% | 66° | Clouds in the way |
| 7 AM | Twilight | 1.33 | 97% | 60° | 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 Montana
The farther north (in magnetic terms) you stand, the lower the Kp you need. From Havre, an aurora usually shows low on the northern horizon once Kp reaches about 4; 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 Montana
Our own count from the official Kp archive: on how many nights each year the Kp index reached about 4 or more while it was dark at Havre. Clouds are not counted, so the real number of nights with a visible aurora is lower. Over the last 10 years the average was 29.6 nights a year; in 2025 it was 65.
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 5 days with a largest Kp close to or above what Havre needs: Oct 31 (Kp 5), Nov 1 (Kp 4), Nov 9 (Kp 4), Nov 17 (Kp 4), Nov 18 (Kp 4). The outlook is rough: it repeats the Sun's 27-day rotation and misses sudden storms.
| Day (UTC) | Largest Kp | At Havre |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 29 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 5 | Good chance |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 4 | Possible |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 3 | Low chance |
| Tue, Nov 3 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Wed, Nov 4 | 2 | Unlikely |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 3 | Low chance |
| Fri, Nov 6 | 3 | Low chance |
| Sat, Nov 7 | 3 | Low chance |
First 10 days shown. Full table: 27-day aurora forecast.
Where to watch in Montana
Montana has some of the most reliable aurora watching in the lower 48. The Hi-Line along the Canadian border, around Havre, Malta and Glasgow, is very dark and wide open. Even Billings sees displays during strong storms, though the north and the plains do better.
On the prairie the whole northern sky is open. In mountain country, find a valley that runs north or a high pullout.
- Glacier National Park: national park in the northern Rockies, near West Glacier and St. Mary
- Beaver Creek Park: large county park in the Bears Paw Mountains, south of Havre
- Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge: prairie wetland refuge east of Malta
- Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge: huge refuge around Fort Peck Lake in central Montana
Nearby states
Questions people ask
Can you see the northern lights in Montana?
Yes, on active nights. From Havre it takes about Kp 4, which happened on about 29.6 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 29, 2026.