Northern lights in Indiana tonight
The aurora reaches Indiana at about Kp 6.9 in the far north of the state and Kp 7.4 at its southern edge. SWPC's highest forecast Kp over the next three days is 2, in the 03-06 UTC block on Mon, Sep 21. Not tonight. The forecast Kp of 2 is well below what it takes for the aurora to reach this far south.
From NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, read Sep 20, 10:57 UTC.
Radar
Reflectivity now over Indiana. Open it to see the aurora forecast on the map.
Radar mosaic and map layers from NOAA MRMS. Boundaries from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet.
Rain and snow mean cloud, and cloud is the last thing between a forecast aurora and the sky you are standing under. Each town page carries that town’s own sky cover forecast for the dark hours.
Tonight at Fremont
The most poleward town in Indiana with a page, and the first place in the state an aurora reaches. Cloud cover is on each town’s own page.
No tonight
Not tonight. The forecast Kp of 2 is well below what it takes for the aurora to reach this far south.
- The aurora reaches this place at about Kp 6.9, which is 51 degrees geomagnetic latitude on NOAA's storm scales.
- SWPC forecasts a highest Kp of 2 (2.00) during tonight's dark hours: quiet.
- The moon is waxing gibbous, 71% lit, and up for part of the dark hours.
Towns best placed in Indiana
The 24 most poleward of the 392 towns in Indiana with a page. Each page gives tonight’s chance there, the darkness, the moon and that town’s own cloud forecast.
- FremontSteuben County · population 2,153 · 50.7° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Simonton LakeElkhart County · population 4,678 · 50.7° geomagneticKp 6.9
- GrangerSaint Joseph County · population 30,465 · 50.7° geomagneticKp 6.9
- HoweLaGrange County · population 807 · 50.7° geomagneticKp 6.9
- BristolElkhart County · population 1,667 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- GeorgetownSaint Joseph County · population 4,497 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- RoselandSaint Joseph County · population 628 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Long BeachLaPorte County · population 1,162 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- ShipshewanaLaGrange County · population 684 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Notre DameSaint Joseph County · population 5,973 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- MiddleburyElkhart County · population 3,562 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Hudson LakeLaPorte County · population 1,297 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- ElkhartElkhart County · population 52,348 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- New CarlisleSaint Joseph County · population 1,853 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- AngolaSteuben County · population 8,644 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- South BendSaint Joseph County · population 101,516 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Michigan CityLaPorte County · population 31,459 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- LagrangeLaGrange County · population 2,715 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- OsceolaSaint Joseph County · population 2,477 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Trail CreekLaPorte County · population 2,029 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- MishawakaSaint Joseph County · population 48,261 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Beverly ShoresPorter County · population 610 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- Rolling PrairieLaPorte County · population 582 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
- DunlapElkhart County · population 6,235 · 50.6° geomagneticKp 6.9
Every town in Indiana with a page
392 towns at 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude or higher, which a strong storm reaches. The figure after each is the Kp it takes there.
A
- Aberdeen Kp 6.9
- Advance Kp 7.2
- Akron Kp 7
- Albany Kp 7.2
- Albion Kp 6.9
- Alexandria Kp 7.2
- Anderson Kp 7.2
- Andrews Kp 7
- Angola Kp 6.9
- Arcadia Kp 7.2
- Argos Kp 7
- Ashley Kp 6.9
- Atlanta Kp 7.2
- Attica Kp 7.2
- Auburn Kp 6.9
- Aurora Kp 7.4
- Avilla Kp 6.9
- Avon Kp 7.3
B
- Bainbridge Kp 7.3
- Bargersville Kp 7.3
- Bass Lake Kp 7
- Batesville Kp 7.4
- Battle Ground Kp 7.1
- Beech Grove Kp 7.3
- Berne Kp 7.1
- Beverly Shores Kp 6.9
- Bloomington Kp 7.4
- Bluffton Kp 7.1
- Boswell Kp 7.1
- Bourbon Kp 7
- Brazil Kp 7.3
- Bremen Kp 6.9
- Bright Kp 7.4
- Bristol Kp 6.9
- Broad Ripple Kp 7.2
- Brook Kp 7.1
- Brooklyn Kp 7.3
- Brookston Kp 7.1
- Brookville Kp 7.3
- Brownsburg Kp 7.3
- Buffalo Kp 7
- Bunker Hill Kp 7.1
- Burlington Kp 7.1
- Burns Harbor Kp 6.9
- Butler Kp 6.9
C
- Cambridge City Kp 7.2
- Camden Kp 7.1
- Carmel Kp 7.2
- Carthage Kp 7.3
- Cayuga Kp 7.2
- Cedar Lake Kp 7
- Centerville Kp 7.2
- Chalmers Kp 7.1
- Chesterfield Kp 7.2
- Chesterton Kp 6.9
- Churubusco Kp 7
- Cicero Kp 7.2
- Clarks Hill Kp 7.2
- Clay City Kp 7.4
- Clayton Kp 7.3
- Clermont Kp 7.3
- Clinton Kp 7.3
- Cloverdale Kp 7.3
- Coatesville Kp 7.3
- Colfax Kp 7.2
- Columbia City Kp 7
- Columbus Kp 7.4
- Connersville Kp 7.3
- Converse Kp 7.1
- Cordry Sweetwater Lakes Kp 7.4
- Covington Kp 7.2
- Crawfordsville Kp 7.2
- Cromwell Kp 6.9
- Crown Point Kp 6.9
- Culver Kp 7
- Cumberland Kp 7.3
D
- Dale Kp 7.2
- Daleville Kp 7.2
- Dana Kp 7.3
- Danville Kp 7.3
- Darlington Kp 7.2
- Dayton Kp 7.1
- Decatur Kp 7
- Delphi Kp 7.1
- DeMotte Kp 7
- Dublin Kp 7.2
- Dunkirk Kp 7.1
- Dunkirk Kp 7.1
- Dunlap Kp 6.9
- Dyer Kp 6.9
E
- East Chicago Kp 6.9
- Eaton Kp 7.1
- Edgewood Kp 7.2
- Edinburgh Kp 7.3
- Elizabethtown Kp 7.4
- Elkhart Kp 6.9
- Ellettsville Kp 7.4
- Elwood Kp 7.2
- Etna Green Kp 7
F
- Fairfield Heights Kp 7.3
- Fairland Kp 7.3
- Fairmount Kp 7.1
- Fairview Park Kp 7.3
- Farmersburg Kp 7.4
- Farmland Kp 7.2
- Fillmore Kp 7.3
- Fish Lake Kp 6.9
- Fishers Kp 7.2
- Flora Kp 7.1
- Fort Wayne Kp 7
- Fortville Kp 7.2
- Fountain City Kp 7.2
- Fowler Kp 7.1
- Francesville Kp 7
- Frankfort Kp 7.2
- Franklin Kp 7.3
- Frankton Kp 7.2
- Fremont Kp 6.9
G
- Galveston Kp 7.1
- Garrett Kp 6.9
- Gary Kp 6.9
- Gas City Kp 7.1
- Gaston Kp 7.2
- Geneva Kp 7.1
- Geneva Kp 7.3
- Georgetown Kp 6.9
- Georgetown Kp 7.1
- Goodland Kp 7.1
- Goshen Kp 6.9
- Gosport Kp 7.4
- Grabill Kp 7
- Granger Kp 6.9
- Greencastle Kp 7.3
- Greendale Kp 7.4
- Greenfield Kp 7.3
- Greensburg Kp 7.3
- Greentown Kp 7.1
- Greenwood Kp 7.3
- Griffith Kp 6.9
- Grissom Air Force Base Kp 7.1
- Gulivoire Park Kp 6.9
H
- Hagerstown Kp 7.2
- Hamilton Kp 6.9
- Hamlet Kp 6.9
- Hammond Kp 6.9
- Harlan Kp 7
- Harmony Kp 7.3
- Hartford City Kp 7.1
- Hebron Kp 7
- Heritage Lake Kp 7.3
- Hidden Valley Kp 7.4
- Highland Kp 6.9
- Hillsboro Kp 7.2
- Hoagland Kp 7
- Hobart Kp 6.9
- Homecroft Kp 7.3
- Hope Kp 7.4
- Howe Kp 6.9
- Hudson Kp 6.9
- Hudson Lake Kp 6.9
- Huntertown Kp 7
- Huntington Kp 7
- Hymera Kp 7.4
I
- Indian Heights Kp 7.1
- Indianapolis Kp 7.3
- Ingalls Kp 7.2
J
- Jamestown Kp 7.2
- Jasonville Kp 7.4
- Jonesboro Kp 7.1
K
- Kendallville Kp 6.9
- Kentland Kp 7.1
- Kewanna Kp 7
- Kingsford Heights Kp 6.9
- Kirklin Kp 7.2
- Knightstown Kp 7.3
- Knightsville Kp 7.3
- Knox Kp 7
- Kokomo Kp 7.1
- Koontz Lake Kp 6.9
- Kouts Kp 7
L
- La Crosse Kp 7
- La Fontaine Kp 7.1
- La Paz Kp 6.9
- La Porte Kp 6.9
- Ladoga Kp 7.2
- Lafayette Kp 7.1
- Lagrange Kp 6.9
- Lake Dalecarlia Kp 7
- Lake Holiday Kp 7.2
- Lake Station Kp 6.9
- Lake Village Kp 7
- Lakes of the Four Seasons Kp 6.9
- Laketon Kp 7
- Lakeville Kp 6.9
- Lapel Kp 7.2
- Laurel Kp 7.3
- Lawrence Kp 7.2
- Lawrenceburg Kp 7.4
- Lebanon Kp 7.2
- Leesburg Kp 7
- Leo-Cedarville Kp 7
- Liberty Kp 7.3
- Ligonier Kp 6.9
- Linden Kp 7.2
- Logansport Kp 7.1
- Long Beach Kp 6.9
- Lowell Kp 7
- Lynn Kp 7.2
M
- Marion Kp 7.1
- Markle Kp 7
- Markleville Kp 7.2
- Martinsville Kp 7.3
- Matthews Kp 7.1
- McCordsville Kp 7.2
- Medaryville Kp 7
- Mentone Kp 7
- Meridian Hills Kp 7.2
- Merrillville Kp 6.9
- Mexico Kp 7.1
- Michigan City Kp 6.9
- Middlebury Kp 6.9
- Middlebury Kp 7.4
- Middletown Kp 7.2
- Milan Kp 7.4
- Milford Kp 6.9
- Millersburg Kp 6.9
- Milroy Kp 7.3
- Mishawaka Kp 6.9
- Monon Kp 7.1
- Monroe Kp 7.1
- Monroe Kp 7.2
- Monroeville Kp 7
- Monrovia Kp 7.3
- Montezuma Kp 7.3
- Monticello Kp 7.1
- Montpelier Kp 7.1
- Moores Hill Kp 7.4
- Mooresville Kp 7.3
- Morgantown Kp 7.3
- Morocco Kp 7
- Morristown Kp 7.3
- Mount Vernon Kp 7.1
- Mulberry Kp 7.2
- Muncie Kp 7.2
- Munster Kp 6.9
N
- Nappanee Kp 6.9
- Nashville Kp 7.4
- New Carlisle Kp 6.9
- New Castle Kp 7.2
- New Chicago Kp 6.9
- New Haven Kp 7
- New Market Kp 7.2
- New Palestine Kp 7.3
- New Paris Kp 6.9
- New Whiteland Kp 7.3
- Newport Kp 7.3
- Noblesville Kp 7.2
- North Judson Kp 7
- North Liberty Kp 6.9
- North Manchester Kp 7
- North Salem Kp 7.3
- North Terre Haute Kp 7.3
- North Webster Kp 7
- Notre Dame Kp 6.9
O
- Ogden Dunes Kp 6.9
- Oldenburg Kp 7.3
- Osceola Kp 6.9
- Osgood Kp 7.4
- Ossian Kp 7
- Otis Kp 6.9
- Otterbein Kp 7.1
- Oxford Kp 7.1
P
- Painted Hills Kp 7.3
- Paragon Kp 7.3
- Parker City Kp 7.2
- Pendleton Kp 7.2
- Pennville Kp 7.1
- Peru Kp 7.1
- Pierceton Kp 7
- Pittsboro Kp 7.2
- Plainfield Kp 7.3
- Plymouth Kp 7
- Portage Kp 6.9
- Porter Kp 6.9
- Portland Kp 7.1
- Princes Lakes Kp 7.3
R
- Redkey Kp 7.1
- Remington Kp 7.1
- Rensselaer Kp 7
- Reynolds Kp 7.1
- Richmond Kp 7.2
- Ridgeville Kp 7.2
- Roachdale Kp 7.3
- Roanoke Kp 7
- Rochester Kp 7
- Rockport Kp 7.3
- Rockville Kp 7.3
- Rocky Ripple Kp 7.2
- Rolling Prairie Kp 6.9
- Rome City Kp 6.9
- Rosedale Kp 7.3
- Roseland Kp 6.9
- Roselawn Kp 7
- Rossville Kp 7.1
- Royal Center Kp 7
- Rushville Kp 7.3
- Russiaville Kp 7.1
S
- Saint Bernice Kp 7.3
- Saint John Kp 6.9
- Saint Leon Kp 7.4
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Kp 7.3
- Saint Paul Kp 7.3
- Schererville Kp 6.9
- Seelyville Kp 7.3
- Selma Kp 7.2
- Shadeland Kp 7.2
- Sharpsville Kp 7.1
- Shelburn Kp 7.4
- Shelby Kp 7
- Shelbyville Kp 7.3
- Sheridan Kp 7.2
- Shipshewana Kp 6.9
- Shirley Kp 7.2
- Shorewood Forest Kp 6.9
- Silver Lake Kp 7
- Simonton Lake Kp 6.9
- South Bend Kp 6.9
- South Haven Kp 6.9
- South Whitley Kp 7
- Southport Kp 7.3
- Speedway Kp 7.3
- Spencer Kp 7.4
- Spiceland Kp 7.2
- Staunton Kp 7.3
- Stockwell Kp 7.2
- Summitville Kp 7.1
- Sunman Kp 7.4
- Swayzee Kp 7.1
- Sweetser Kp 7.1
- Syracuse Kp 6.9
T
- Taylorsville Kp 7.4
- Tecumseh Kp 7.3
- Terre Haute Kp 7.3
- Thorntown Kp 7.2
- Tipton Kp 7.2
- Topeka Kp 6.9
- Town of Pines Kp 6.9
- Trafalgar Kp 7.3
- Trail Creek Kp 6.9
- Tri-Lakes Kp 7
U
- Union City Kp 7.2
- Upland Kp 7.1
V
- Valparaiso Kp 6.9
- Van Buren Kp 7.1
- Veedersburg Kp 7.2
- Versailles Kp 7.4
W
- Wabash Kp 7.1
- Wakarusa Kp 6.9
- Waldron Kp 7.3
- Walkerton Kp 6.9
- Walton Kp 7.1
- Wanatah Kp 6.9
- Warren Kp 7.1
- Warren Park Kp 7.3
- Warsaw Kp 7
- Waterloo Kp 6.9
- Waterloo Kp 7.3
- Waynetown Kp 7.2
- West College Corner Kp 7.3
- West Lafayette Kp 7.1
- West Lebanon Kp 7.2
- West Terre Haute Kp 7.3
- Westfield Kp 7.2
- Westpoint Kp 7.2
- Westport Kp 7.4
- Westville Kp 6.9
- Wheatfield Kp 7
- Whiteland Kp 7.3
- Whitestown Kp 7.2
- Whiting Kp 6.9
- Williamsport Kp 7.2
- Winamac Kp 7
- Winchester Kp 7.2
- Windfall Kp 7.1
- Winfield Kp 6.9
- Winona Lake Kp 7
- Wolcott Kp 7.1
- Wolcottville Kp 6.9
- Woodburn Kp 7
Y
- Yorktown Kp 7.2
Z
- Zanesville Kp 7
- Zionsville Kp 7.2
How far south each storm level reaches
NOAA’s space weather scales state the geomagnetic latitude each level of geomagnetic storm reaches, and the places its aurora has been seen from. The geographic latitudes are those lines converted with the geomagnetic dipole; the aurora sits low on the northern horizon there, and overhead far poleward of it.
| Storm | Geomagnetic | Central US | Eastern US | Northern Europe | NOAA says the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1 MinorKp 5 | 60° | 52°N | 51°N | 61°N | commonly visible at high latitudes: northern Michigan and Maine |
| G2 ModerateKp 6 | 55° | 47°N | 46°N | 56°N | has been seen as low as New York and Idaho |
| G3 StrongKp 7 | 50° | 42°N | 41°N | 51°N | has been seen as low as Illinois and Oregon |
| G4 SevereKp 8 | 45° | 37°N | 36°N | 45°N | has been seen as low as Alabama and northern California |
| G5 ExtremeKp 9 | 40° | 32°N | 31°N | 40°N | has been seen as low as Florida and southern Texas |
Source: NOAA space weather scales, swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation. Below Kp 5 the oval contracts more slowly; this section runs the line from 66 degrees geomagnetic at Kp 0 to the scale’s 60 degrees at Kp 5.
Kp by 3-hour block
SWPC’s planetary K index forecast, three days ahead. Kp is a single number for the whole planet, from magnetometers around the world, on a scale of 0 to 9 in thirds.
| Block (UTC) | Kp | Level | Seen from | Central US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.00 | Quiet | 65° geomag. | 57°N | |
| 1.00 | Quiet | 65° geomag. | 57°N | |
| 1.00 | Quiet | 65° geomag. | 57°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 2.00 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 55°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 0.67 | Quiet | 65° geomag. | 57°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.33 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N | |
| 1.67 | Quiet | 64° geomag. | 56°N |
The forecast is for the planet, not for your sky. A block at Kp 5 means the field is disturbed enough for the aurora to reach 60 degrees geomagnetic somewhere along the night side; whether you see it depends on being on the night side, on darkness, and on the clouds.
Other states with aurora pages
- Alaska
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
What this means
Each place is placed by its geomagnetic latitude, measured from the geomagnetic dipole pole, and compared with the reach NOAA states for each storm level on its space weather scales: G1 (Kp 5) about 60 degrees geomagnetic, G2 55, G3 50, G4 45, G5 (Kp 9) 40. Reading that backwards gives the Kp a place needs. Below Kp 5 the oval contracts more slowly and the line runs from 66 degrees at Kp 0 to 60 at Kp 5.
The forecasts have different horizons and the pages keep them apart: OVATION is the only thing that knows whether an aurora is out now, and it reaches 30 to 90 minutes ahead; the planetary Kp forecast runs three days; the 27-day outlook names likely active days and is not a forecast of any one night. None of them knows the clouds, which is why a town page reads its own forecast for those.
Sources
From NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center: the OVATION aurora forecast, the planetary K index forecast, the 3-day forecast, the 27-day outlook, its watches, warnings and alerts, and the real-time solar wind. Read Sep 20, 10:57 UTC.