Where are the best dark-sky places to watch the aurora in Vermont?

Lake Willoughby & Mount Pisgah (Northeast Kingdom): Deep glacial fjord lake looking straight north with Bortle Class 2 skies. Colchester Causeway & Grand Isle State Park (Lake Champlain): Wide-open northern sightlines across dark Lake Champlain waters just north of Burlington. Darling Hill Road (East Burke) & Peacham: Elevated open pasture ridges with sweeping northern views and minimal village glare. Philo Ridge & Appalachian Gap (Chittenden/Washington Counties): High-elevation pullouts above valley fog.

Home › Aurora Tonight › Vermont

Can I See the Northern Lights in Vermont Tonight?

Q: What Kp index is needed to see the Northern Lights in Vermont?

Vermont spans 52.5°N – 54.8°N geomagnetic latitude and requires approximately Kp 5.0 on the northern horizon and Kp 6.5 for overhead displays (G1 (Kp 5) for Burlington & Northeast Kingdom; Kp 5.5 for southern Vermont). Vermont sits between 52.5°N and 54.8°N geomagnetic latitude, giving the entire state a strong shot at seeing the northern lights whenever NOAA issues a G1 minor geomagnetic storm watch (Kp 5). Lake Champlain's eastern shore and the Northeast Kingdom around Newport and Lake Willoughby offer dark, open views straight north toward Quebec. When the live box below reaches Kp 5+ with negative Bz, head to a north-facing Champlain causeway or Northeast Kingdom hilltop.

Live NOAA SWPC geomagnetic telemetry paired with centered-dipole geomagnetic latitudes (52.5°N – 54.8°N) and local horizon vs. overhead Kp thresholds for Vermont. Updated Sun Nov 1, 12:02 AM ET (auto-refreshes every 60 seconds).

✦ IN PLAIN ENGLISH — THE 30-SECOND TAKEAWAY Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) · US States

Vermont sits between 52.5°N and 54.8°N geomagnetic latitude, giving the entire state a strong shot at seeing the northern lights whenever NOAA issues a G1 minor geomagnetic storm watch (Kp 5). Lake Champlain's eastern shore and the Northeast Kingdom around Newport and Lake Willoughby offer dark, open views straight north toward Quebec. When the live box below reaches Kp 5+ with negative Bz, head to a north-facing Champlain causeway or Northeast Kingdom hilltop.

Geomagnetic Latitude & Look Direction

52.5°N – 54.8°N · Look toward the Northern horizon from a dark site away from city lights.

NOAA Kp & G-Scale Needed

G1 (Kp 5) for Burlington & Northeast Kingdom; Kp 5.5 for southern Vermont (Horizon: Kp 5.0 · Overhead: Kp 6.5).

☀ LIVE TONIGHT STATUS CARD

Live Tonight Status for Vermont

Snapshot: Sun Nov 1, 12:02 AM ET · Refreshes every 60s

QUIET — Below Vermont Threshold Tonight (Needs Kp 5.0+)

NOAA's current Kp (4.67) and 3-day forecast peak (Kp 4.67) are currently below Vermont's northern-horizon threshold of Kp 5.0 (overhead requires Kp 6.5).

Current Planetary Kp Kp 4.67

Forecast Peak Kp Kp 4.67

Solar Wind Speed 532.0 km/s

IMF Bz (North/South) -2.0 nT

Vermont Thresholds Kp 5.0 / 6.5

Best seasonal window: September – April · Look direction: North · Compare all 28 State, Province & Region Guides or check our Live Space Weather Dashboard.

City-by-City Aurora Thresholds in Vermont

Centered-dipole geomagnetic latitudes (WMM2025 pole at 80.85°N, 72.76°W) and minimum Kp required on the northern horizon vs. directly overhead. Status badges update automatically from live NOAA telemetry.

City / Area	Coordinates	Geomagnetic Lat	Horizon Kp	Overhead Kp	Tonight's Live Status
Newport / Northeast Kingdom, VT Right on the Quebec border (~54.7°N geomag); horizon aurora at Kp 4.5–5	44.94°N, 72.21°W	54.1°N	Kp 5.0	Kp 6.5	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.0+
Burlington, VT Strong New England location; northern horizon across Lake Champlain at Kp 5	44.48°N, 73.21°W	53.6°N	Kp 5.5	Kp 7.0	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.5+
Montpelier / Stowe, VT Green Mountain gaps and elevated overlooks; Kp 5	44.26°N, 72.58°W	53.4°N	Kp 5.5	Kp 7.0	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.5+
Rutland / Brattleboro, VT Southern Vermont valleys; visible at Kp 5.5	43.61°N, 72.97°W	52.8°N	Kp 5.5	Kp 7.0	QUIET — Needs Kp 5.5+

Best Dark-Sky Viewing Locations in Vermont

Lake Willoughby & Mount Pisgah (Northeast Kingdom): Deep glacial fjord lake looking straight north with Bortle Class 2 skies.
Colchester Causeway & Grand Isle State Park (Lake Champlain): Wide-open northern sightlines across dark Lake Champlain waters just north of Burlington.
Darling Hill Road (East Burke) & Peacham: Elevated open pasture ridges with sweeping northern views and minimal village glare.
Philo Ridge & Appalachian Gap (Chittenden/Washington Counties): High-elevation pullouts above valley fog.

Seasonal & Cloud Timing for Vermont

Watch Montreal's light dome in northwestern VT: From Grand Isle or Highgate, Montreal creates a faint warm glow due north; angling slightly northeast toward the Eastern Townships gives darker skies.
Northeast Kingdom darkness: Orleans, Essex, and Caledonia counties have almost no urban light domes to the north.
Equinox & winter clarity: September–October and February–March bring the highest frequency of Kp 5–7 storms.

Phone & Camera Settings for Vermont (52.5°N – 54.8°N Geomagnetic)

Frame Lake Champlain or church steeples: Classic Vermont hill-farm barns or Lake Champlain water reflections anchor wide-angle (16–24mm) aurora shots.
3–5 second exposures at f/2.8, ISO 3200: Ideal for catching green arcs and vertical magenta rays at Kp 5–6.
Smartphone Night Mode: Rest your phone on the Colchester Causeway rail or car roof for crisp 3-second Night Mode exposures.

Want step-by-step exposure tables? Read our full iPhone, Android & Camera Aurora Photography Guide and Aurora & Solar Observing Gear Guide.

Vetted Dark-Sky Stays, Guided Chases & Field Guides for Vermont

Planning an overnight dark-sky trip in Vermont (Burlington, Vermont, US) or comparing high-latitude lodges directly under the auroral oval? Use the vetted links below:

Search Vermont Stays on Booking.com → Compare Vermont Hotels on Expedia → Browse Vermont Night & Sky Tours (GetYourGuide) →

38 Vetted 3★+ Aurora Resorts, Glass Igloos & Wilderness Lodges: Compare top-rated stays (4.3+/5 across 100+ reviews) in Fairbanks, Yellowknife, Churchill, Tromsø, Abisko, Rovaniemi, and Iceland.
Aurora Chasing & Space Weather Field Guides: Vetted books by Dr. Melanie Windridge, Tom Kerss (Royal Observatory Greenwich), and Dr. Stuart Clark on Books & Further Reading (Bookshop.org).
All 78 Cities & 28 State/Region Tonight Guides · 78-City Aurora Calculator · Live Space Weather Dashboard · Free Embeddable Space Weather Widget

FTC affiliate disclosure: Lodging links above route to Booking.com and Expedia via Stay22 (aid=solarevidence, campaign=aurora-vermont), activity links go to GetYourGuide (partner_id=Z35Q282), and book links go to Bookshop.org (130218). If you book or buy through them, Solar Evidence may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All affiliate links carry rel="sponsored nofollow noopener". Commissions never affect our NOAA data thresholds or evidence ratings. Affiliate policy.