Northern lights in Iowa tonight
The aurora reaches Iowa at about Kp 6.6 in the far north of the state and Kp 7.2 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, 18:13 UTC.
The oval right now
NOAA’s OVATION model: the chance of aurora overhead 30 to 90 minutes from now, valid Sep 20, 19:10 UTC. Green is a low chance, red a high one.
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.
Open the live map with the aurora forecast
Aurora forecast from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. Original at SWPC
Tonight at Lansing
The most poleward town in Iowa 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 6.6, which is 52 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 Iowa
The 24 most poleward of the 457 towns in Iowa with a page. Each page gives tonight’s chance there, the darkness, the moon and that town’s own cloud forecast.
- LansingAllamakee County · population 939 · 52.0° geomagneticKp 6.6
- CrescoHoward County · population 3,833 · 52.0° geomagneticKp 6.6
- NorthwoodWorth County · population 1,995 · 52.0° geomagneticKp 6.6
- RicevilleHoward County · population 810 · 51.9° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Lake MillsWinnebago County · population 2,060 · 51.9° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Saint AnsgarMitchell County · population 1,107 · 51.9° geomagneticKp 6.6
- DecorahWinneshiek County · population 7,907 · 51.9° geomagneticKp 6.6
- WaukonAllamakee County · population 3,736 · 51.9° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Buffalo CenterWinnebago County · population 895 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- OrleansDickinson County · population 614 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- OsageMitchell County · population 3,654 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- ArmstrongEmmet County · population 889 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Lake ParkDickinson County · population 1,137 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Swea CityKossuth County · population 521 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- ElmaHoward County · population 539 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Spirit LakeDickinson County · population 5,018 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- EsthervilleEmmet County · population 6,011 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- ManlyWorth County · population 1,310 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- CalmarWinneshiek County · population 960 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- OkobojiDickinson County · population 818 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- Arnolds ParkDickinson County · population 1,234 · 51.8° geomagneticKp 6.6
- OssianWinneshiek County · population 819 · 51.7° geomagneticKp 6.7
- Forest CityWinnebago County · population 4,018 · 51.7° geomagneticKp 6.7
- LarchwoodLyon County · population 886 · 51.7° geomagneticKp 6.7
Every town in Iowa with a page
457 towns at 48 degrees geomagnetic latitude or higher, which a strong storm reaches. The figure after each is the Kp it takes there.
A
- Ackley Kp 6.8
- Adair Kp 7
- Adel Kp 7
- Afton Kp 7.1
- Agency Kp 7.1
- Ainsworth Kp 7
- Akron Kp 6.8
- Albert City Kp 6.8
- Albia Kp 7.1
- Alburnett Kp 6.8
- Alden Kp 6.8
- Algona Kp 6.7
- Allison Kp 6.7
- Alta Kp 6.8
- Alton Kp 6.7
- Altoona Kp 7
- Ames Kp 6.9
- Anamosa Kp 6.9
- Anita Kp 7
- Ankeny Kp 7
- Anthon Kp 6.9
- Aplington Kp 6.8
- Armstrong Kp 6.6
- Arnolds Park Kp 6.6
- Asbury Kp 6.8
- Atkins Kp 6.9
- Atlantic Kp 7
- Audubon Kp 7
- Aurelia Kp 6.8
- Avoca Kp 7
B
- Badger Kp 6.8
- Bancroft Kp 6.7
- Batavia Kp 7.1
- Battle Creek Kp 6.9
- Baxter Kp 6.9
- Beaverdale Kp 7.1
- Bedford Kp 7.2
- Belle Plaine Kp 6.9
- Bellevue Kp 6.8
- Belmond Kp 6.7
- Bettendorf Kp 7
- Blairstown Kp 6.9
- Bloomfield Kp 7.1
- Blue Grass Kp 7
- Bondurant Kp 7
- Boone Kp 6.9
- Boyden Kp 6.7
- Brighton Kp 7
- Britt Kp 6.7
- Brooklyn Kp 6.9
- Buffalo Kp 7
- Buffalo (historical) Kp 7
- Buffalo Center Kp 6.6
- Burlington Kp 7.1
- Burt Kp 6.7
C
- Calmar Kp 6.6
- Camanche Kp 6.9
- Cambridge Kp 6.9
- Carlisle Kp 7
- Carroll Kp 6.9
- Carson Kp 7.1
- Carter Lake Kp 7.1
- Cascade Kp 6.8
- Cedar Falls Kp 6.8
- Cedar Rapids Kp 6.9
- Center Point Kp 6.8
- Centerville Kp 6.9
- Centerville Kp 7.1
- Central City Kp 6.8
- Chariton Kp 7.1
- Charles City Kp 6.7
- Cherokee Kp 6.8
- Clarence Kp 6.9
- Clarinda Kp 7.2
- Clarion Kp 6.8
- Clarksville Kp 6.7
- Clear Lake Kp 6.7
- Clermont Kp 6.7
- Clinton Kp 6.9
- Clive Kp 7
- Coalville Kp 6.8
- Coggon Kp 6.8
- Colfax Kp 7
- Colo Kp 6.9
- Columbus Junction Kp 7
- Conrad Kp 6.8
- Coon Rapids Kp 6.9
- Coralville Kp 6.9
- Corning Kp 7.1
- Correctionville Kp 6.8
- Corydon Kp 7.1
- Council Bluffs Kp 7.1
- Crescent Kp 7.1
- Cresco Kp 6.6
- Creston Kp 7.1
D
- Dakota City Kp 6.8
- Dallas Center Kp 7
- Danville Kp 7.1
- Davenport Kp 7
- Dayton Kp 6.9
- De Soto Kp 7
- De Witt Kp 6.9
- Decorah Kp 6.6
- Delmar Kp 6.9
- Denison Kp 6.9
- Denver Kp 6.8
- Des Moines Kp 7
- Dexter Kp 7
- Dike Kp 6.8
- Donnellson Kp 7.1
- Doon Kp 6.7
- Dows Kp 6.8
- Dubuque Kp 6.8
- Dumont Kp 6.7
- Dunkerton Kp 6.8
- Dunlap Kp 7
- Durant Kp 6.9
- Dyersville Kp 6.8
- Dysart Kp 6.9
E
- Eagle Grove Kp 6.8
- Earlham Kp 7
- Earlville Kp 6.8
- Early Kp 6.8
- Eddyville Kp 7.1
- Edgewood Kp 6.7
- Eldon Kp 7.1
- Eldora Kp 6.8
- Eldridge Kp 6.9
- Elgin Kp 6.7
- Elk Horn Kp 7
- Elk Run Heights Kp 6.8
- Elkader Kp 6.7
- Elkhart Kp 6.9
- Ellsworth Kp 6.8
- Elma Kp 6.6
- Ely Kp 6.9
- Emmetsburg Kp 6.7
- Epworth Kp 6.8
- Essex Kp 7.2
- Estherville Kp 6.6
- Evansdale Kp 6.8
- Everly Kp 6.7
- Exira Kp 7
F
- Fairbank Kp 6.8
- Fairfax Kp 6.9
- Fairfield Kp 7.1
- Farley Kp 6.8
- Farmington Kp 7.1
- Fayette Kp 6.7
- Fonda Kp 6.8
- Fontanelle Kp 7.1
- Forest City Kp 6.7
- Fort Dodge Kp 6.8
- Fort Madison Kp 7.1
- Fredericksburg Kp 6.7
- Fremont Kp 7
- Fruitland Kp 7
G
- Garnavillo Kp 6.7
- Garner Kp 6.7
- Garwin Kp 6.9
- George Kp 6.7
- Gilbert Kp 6.9
- Gilbertville Kp 6.8
- Gilman Kp 6.9
- Gladbrook Kp 6.9
- Glenwood Kp 7.1
- Glidden Kp 6.9
- Goldfield Kp 6.8
- Gowrie Kp 6.9
- Graettinger Kp 6.7
- Grand Junction Kp 6.9
- Grand Mound Kp 6.9
- Grandview Kp 7
- Granger Kp 7
- Greene Kp 6.7
- Greenfield Kp 7.1
- Grimes Kp 7
- Grinnell Kp 6.9
- Griswold Kp 7.1
- Grundy Center Kp 6.8
- Guthrie Center Kp 7
- Guttenberg Kp 6.7
H
- Hamburg Kp 7.2
- Hampton Kp 6.7
- Harlan Kp 7
- Hartford Kp 7
- Hartley Kp 6.7
- Hawarden Kp 6.7
- Hazleton Kp 6.8
- Hedrick Kp 7
- Hiawatha Kp 6.9
- Hills Kp 7
- Hinton Kp 6.8
- Holstein Kp 6.8
- Hopkinton Kp 6.8
- Hospers Kp 6.7
- Hubbard Kp 6.8
- Hudson Kp 6.8
- Hull Kp 6.7
- Humboldt Kp 6.8
- Huxley Kp 6.9
I
- Ida Grove Kp 6.9
- Independence Kp 6.8
- Indianola Kp 7
- Inwood Kp 6.7
- Iowa City Kp 6.9
- Iowa Falls Kp 6.8
- Ireton Kp 6.7
J
- Janesville Kp 6.8
- Jefferson Kp 6.9
- Jesup Kp 6.8
- Jewell Kp 6.8
- Johnston Kp 7
K
- Kalona Kp 7
- Kanawha Kp 6.7
- Kellogg Kp 6.9
- Keokuk Kp 7.2
- Keosauqua Kp 7.1
- Keota Kp 7
- Keystone Kp 6.9
- Kingsley Kp 6.8
- Knoxville Kp 7
L
- La Porte City Kp 6.8
- Lake City Kp 6.9
- Lake Mills Kp 6.6
- Lake Panorama Kp 7
- Lake Park Kp 6.6
- Lake View Kp 6.9
- Lakeside Kp 6.8
- Lamoni Kp 7.2
- Lansing Kp 6.6
- Larchwood Kp 6.7
- Laurens Kp 6.8
- Lawton Kp 6.8
- Le Claire Kp 6.9
- Le Grand Kp 6.9
- Le Mars Kp 6.8
- Lenox Kp 7.1
- Leon Kp 7.2
- Lisbon Kp 6.9
- Logan Kp 7
- Lone Tree Kp 7
- Long Grove Kp 6.9
- Lovilia Kp 7.1
- Lowden Kp 6.9
M
- Madrid Kp 6.9
- Maharishi Vedic City Kp 7.1
- Malvern Kp 7.1
- Manchester Kp 6.8
- Manilla Kp 6.9
- Manly Kp 6.6
- Manning Kp 6.9
- Manson Kp 6.8
- Mapleton Kp 6.9
- Maquoketa Kp 6.9
- Marcus Kp 6.8
- Marengo Kp 6.9
- Marion Kp 6.9
- Marshalltown Kp 6.9
- Mason City Kp 6.7
- Maxwell Kp 6.9
- McGregor Kp 6.7
- Mechanicsville Kp 6.9
- Mediapolis Kp 7.1
- Melbourne Kp 6.9
- Melcher-Dallas Kp 7.1
- Merrill Kp 6.8
- Middle Amana Kp 6.9
- Milford Kp 6.7
- Milo Kp 7
- Minden Kp 7
- Missouri Valley Kp 7
- Mitchellville Kp 7
- Monona Kp 6.7
- Monroe Kp 7
- Montezuma Kp 7
- Monticello Kp 6.8
- Montrose Kp 7.2
- Moravia Kp 7.1
- Morning Sun Kp 7.1
- Moulton Kp 7.2
- Mount Ayr Kp 7.2
- Mount Pleasant Kp 7.1
- Mount Vernon Kp 6.9
- Moville Kp 6.8
- Murray Kp 7.1
- Muscatine Kp 7
N
- Nashua Kp 6.7
- Neola Kp 7
- Nevada Kp 6.9
- New Hampton Kp 6.7
- New Hartford Kp 6.8
- New London Kp 7.1
- New Sharon Kp 7
- Newell Kp 6.8
- Newhall Kp 6.9
- Newton Kp 7
- Nora Springs Kp 6.7
- North English Kp 7
- North Liberty Kp 6.9
- Northwood Kp 6.6
- Norwalk Kp 7
- Norway Kp 6.9
O
- Oakland Kp 6.8
- Oakland Kp 7.1
- Odebolt Kp 6.9
- Oelwein Kp 6.7
- Ogden Kp 6.9
- Okoboji Kp 6.6
- Olin Kp 6.9
- Onawa Kp 6.9
- Orange City Kp 6.7
- Orleans Kp 6.6
- Osage Kp 6.6
- Osceola Kp 7.1
- Oskaloosa Kp 7
- Ossian Kp 6.7
- Otho Kp 6.8
- Ottumwa Kp 7.1
- Oxford Kp 6.9
P
- Palo Kp 6.9
- Panora Kp 7
- Park View Kp 6.9
- Parkersburg Kp 6.8
- Paullina Kp 6.7
- Pella Kp 7
- Peosta Kp 6.8
- Perry Kp 6.9
- Pleasant Hill Kp 7
- Pleasantville Kp 7
- Pocahontas Kp 6.8
- Polk City Kp 6.9
- Pomeroy Kp 6.8
- Postville Kp 6.7
- Prairie City Kp 7
- Preston Kp 6.9
- Primghar Kp 6.7
- Princeton Kp 6.9
Q
- Quasqueton Kp 6.8
R
- Radcliffe Kp 6.8
- Raymond Kp 6.8
- Readlyn Kp 6.7
- Red Oak Kp 7.1
- Redfield Kp 7
- Reinbeck Kp 6.8
- Remsen Kp 6.8
- Riceville Kp 6.6
- Richland Kp 7
- Riverside Kp 7
- Robins Kp 6.9
- Rock Rapids Kp 6.7
- Rock Valley Kp 6.7
- Rockford Kp 6.7
- Rockwell Kp 6.7
- Rockwell City Kp 6.8
- Roland Kp 6.9
- Rolfe Kp 6.8
- Runnells Kp 7
- Russell Kp 7.1
- Ruthven Kp 6.7
S
- Sabula Kp 6.8
- Sac City Kp 6.8
- Saint Ansgar Kp 6.6
- Saint Charles Kp 7
- Sanborn Kp 6.7
- Saylorville Kp 7
- Schaller Kp 6.8
- Schleswig Kp 6.9
- Scranton Kp 6.9
- Sergeant Bluff Kp 6.9
- Seymour Kp 7.2
- Sheffield Kp 6.7
- Shelby Kp 7
- Sheldon Kp 6.7
- Shell Rock Kp 6.7
- Shellsburg Kp 6.9
- Shenandoah Kp 7.2
- Shueyville Kp 6.9
- Sibley Kp 6.7
- Sidney Kp 7.2
- Sigourney Kp 7
- Sioux Center Kp 6.7
- Sioux City Kp 6.8
- Sioux Rapids Kp 6.7
- Slater Kp 6.9
- Sloan Kp 6.9
- Solon Kp 6.9
- Spencer Kp 6.7
- Spirit Lake Kp 6.6
- Springville Kp 6.9
- Stanton Kp 7.1
- Stanwood Kp 6.9
- State Center Kp 6.9
- Storm Lake Kp 6.8
- Story City Kp 6.9
- Stratford Kp 6.9
- Strawberry Point Kp 6.7
- Stuart Kp 7
- Sully Kp 7
- Sumner Kp 6.7
- Sutherland Kp 6.7
- Swea City Kp 6.6
- Swisher Kp 6.9
T
- Tabor Kp 7.2
- Tama Kp 6.9
- Tiffin Kp 6.9
- Tipton Kp 6.9
- Toledo Kp 6.9
- Traer Kp 6.8
- Treynor Kp 7.1
- Tripoli Kp 6.7
U
- Underwood Kp 7.1
- University Heights Kp 6.9
- Urbana Kp 6.8
- Urbandale Kp 7
V
W
- Walcott Kp 6.9
- Walford Kp 6.9
- Walker Kp 6.8
- Wall Lake Kp 6.9
- Walnut Kp 7
- Wapello Kp 7
- Washburn Kp 6.8
- Washington Kp 7
- Waterloo Kp 6.8
- Waukee Kp 7
- Waukon Kp 6.6
- Waverly Kp 6.7
- Wayland Kp 7
- Webster City Kp 6.8
- Wellman Kp 7
- Wellsburg Kp 6.8
- West Bend Kp 6.7
- West Branch Kp 6.9
- West Burlington Kp 7.1
- West Des Moines Kp 7
- West Liberty Kp 7
- West Point Kp 7.1
- West Union Kp 6.7
- What Cheer Kp 7
- Wheatland Kp 6.9
- Whiting Kp 6.9
- Williamsburg Kp 6.9
- Wilton Kp 7
- Windsor Heights Kp 7
- Winfield Kp 7
- Winterset Kp 7
- Winthrop Kp 6.8
- Woodbine Kp 7
- Woodward Kp 6.9
- Wyoming Kp 6.9
Z
- Zearing Kp 6.9
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.33 | 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
- Indiana
- 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, 18:13 UTC.