Aurora forecast this week
Most active: Saturday, Kp 5.
NOAA expects the greatest 3-hour Kp for Nov 05-Nov 07 2026 to be 5 (G1). Observed in the past 24 hours: greatest Kp 3 (below NOAA Scale levels).
Night by night
| Day (UTC) | Max Kp | Source | Anchorage | Edinburgh | Minneapolis | Calgary | Seattle | Toronto | Chicago | New York | London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu 5 Nov | 3.67 | NOAA 3-day | |||||||||
| Fri 6 Nov | 4.67 · G1 | NOAA 3-day | |||||||||
| Sat 7 Nov | 5 · G1 | NOAA 3-day | |||||||||
| Sun 8 Nov | 2 | 27-day outlook | |||||||||
| Mon 9 Nov | 4 | 27-day outlook | |||||||||
| Tue 10 Nov | 3 | 27-day outlook | |||||||||
| Wed 11 Nov | 3 | 27-day outlook |
Day verdicts use the day's highest Kp, which may fall in daylight for some cities; open a city for its own dark hours.
The next three days, 3 hours at a time
NOAA planetary K-index in UTC.
NOAA forecaster (5 Nov 2026, 00:30 UTC): G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storms are likely by late on 06 Nov and continuing into 07 Nov due to negative polarity CH HSS influences.
| 3-hour block | Thu 05 Nov | Fri 06 Nov | Sat 07 Nov |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00–03 UTC | 2.67 | 2.33 | 5 G1 |
| 03–06 UTC | 2.67 | 2 | 3.67 |
| 06–09 UTC | 3 | 2 | 3.33 |
| 09–12 UTC | 2.67 | 2.33 | 3.33 |
| 12–15 UTC | 2.67 | 2.33 | 3.33 |
| 15–18 UTC | 1.67 | 3.67 | 3.33 |
| 18–21 UTC | 1.67 | 4 | 3.33 |
| 21–00 UTC | 3.67 | 4.67 G1 | 3.33 |
The 27-day outlook
NOAA 27-day outlook, largest Kp expected per day (issued 2 Nov 2026, 02:18 UTC). It repeats the pattern of the last solar rotation; treat it as a hint, not a forecast.
Your city
The verdicts above are for the whole day. For your own dark hours, Moon and the Kp your city needs: northern lights tonight by city.
Questions
What is the aurora forecast for this week?
Most active: Saturday, Kp 5. Days 1 to 3 come from NOAA's 3-day Kp forecast; later days from NOAA's 27-day outlook, which only tracks recurring solar wind patterns and cannot see new solar storms.
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
Reliably, about 30 to 90 minutes (the OVATION nowcast). A coronal mass ejection seen leaving the Sun gives one to three days of warning, but its strength at Earth is uncertain until it arrives. Beyond three days only recurring patterns, about every 27 days as the Sun rotates, can be anticipated.
What Kp is needed for the northern lights in the US or UK?
Roughly Kp 4 to 5 for the northern US border states and Scotland, Kp 6 to 7 for the middle of the US, northern England and Ireland, and Kp 8 or more for London, New York and the southern states.
Data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (planetary K-index forecast, 3-day forecast, 27-day outlook, OVATION aurora model). Magnetic latitudes: AACGM-v2. Darkness and Moon computed with Skyfield and JPL DE440. We do not forecast clouds: you need a clear view to the north. How the verdict is made.