Aurora forecast for Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thursday, October 29, 2026 · Northern Lights · local time
Aurora is unlikely tonight. The highest Kp forecast during dark hours is 0.7; Minneapolis needs about Kp 5 to see it on the northern horizon.
Cloud cover tonight
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3-day Kp forecast
| Local time | Kp | Sky | In Minneapolis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Oct 29 | |||
| 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 0.7 estimated | Dark | Unlikely |
| 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM | 0.7 estimated | Dark | Unlikely |
| Friday, Oct 30 | |||
| 1:00 AM – 4:00 AM | 0.7 estimated | Dark | Unlikely |
| 4:00 AM – 7:00 AM | 0.3 estimated | Dark | Unlikely |
| 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 0.3 estimated | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 0.7 estimated | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | 1.7 estimated | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM | 1.7 estimated | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 5.0 G1 | Dark | Possible, low on the horizon |
| 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM | 4.7 | Dark | Camera only, maybe |
| Saturday, Oct 31 | |||
| 1:00 AM – 4:00 AM | 4.3 | Dark | Camera only, maybe |
| 4:00 AM – 7:00 AM | 4.0 | Dark | Camera only, maybe |
| 7:00 AM – 10:00 AM | 3.0 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM | 3.0 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM | 3.7 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM | 4.0 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM | 3.7 | Dark | Unlikely |
| 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM | 4.7 | Dark | Camera only, maybe |
| Sunday, Nov 1 | |||
| 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM | 3.3 | Dark | Unlikely |
| 3:00 AM – 6:00 AM | 2.7 | Dark | Unlikely |
| 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM | 2.3 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM | 3.3 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM | 3.7 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM | 3.3 | Daylight / twilight | Too bright |
| 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM | 2.7 | Dark | Unlikely |
Kp is a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity in 3-hour blocks; G1–G5 are NOAA's storm levels (Kp 5–9). Forecast from the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, updated several times a day.
27-day outlook
Days when NOAA's 27-day outlook expects a Kp of at least 5: Sat, Oct 31 (Kp 5).
The outlook is based on the Sun's 27-day rotation: active regions and coronal holes that faced Earth last rotation are expected back. It is a rough guide, and big storms usually come with only 1–3 days' warning.
Right now
Loading NOAA's 30-minute aurora forecast…
NOAA's OVATION model estimates the chance of seeing aurora overhead at each point for the next 30–90 minutes. Aurora seen low on the horizon can come from up to about 1,000 km closer to the pole, so we also show the highest chance in that direction.
How to see the aurora from Minneapolis
- Look north. At Kp 5–6 the aurora usually shows as a pale glow or pillars low over the northern horizon.
- Get away from lights and wait 20 minutes for your eyes to adapt. Check the night sky page for moonrise and when it gets dark.
- Best hours are usually within a couple of hours of local magnetic midnight, roughly 10 pm – 2 am, but storms can light up any time of night.
- Use a phone camera on night mode: sensors pick up colour the eye can't, so the aurora often appears on camera first.
“Kp needed” uses NOAA's rule of thumb in corrected geomagnetic latitude (AACGM-v2 model, epoch 2026). It is approximate: the oval's shape changes from storm to storm.