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Can you see the northern lights in Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic or the Midwest?

How rare the aurora is from Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic and the Midwest, what Kp it takes, what happened in the May and October 2024 storms, where to find dark skies with a northern view, and how to photograph it.

The honest answer: occasionally, during big storms

Yes, but rarely. Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic states and the southern and central Midwest are far from the auroral oval on ordinary nights. Seeing aurora there takes a strong to extreme geomagnetic storm, clear skies and a dark site with a view to the north. NOAA's scale suggests G4 or stronger conditions occur on only about 64 days in an average 11-year solar cycle, and many of those fall in daylight or under cloud for any one place. [10]

The northern Midwest does better. Northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula sit near the northern edge of the contiguous US, where the rough rules in our Kp index guide say aurora may be visible at Kp 6–7. [1]

What Kp it takes, by region

We use the same rough NOAA-based bands as our Kp index guide. Kp 6–7 may make the aurora visible from the northern edge of the contiguous US, for example the Upper Midwest and northern New England, usually low on the northern horizon. At Kp 8–9 it can appear overhead in northern states and be seen much farther south. [1] [2]

For Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, southern Pennsylvania, and the central Midwest such as Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kansas, plan on needing about Kp 8 or higher, a G4 or G5 storm. Even then, aurora from these latitudes usually appears as a glow or faint rays low in the north, often more obvious in a phone photo than to the eye. [1] [3]

These are rough bands, not guarantees. The actual reach of a storm depends on its timing relative to your night, how long the solar wind's magnetic field stays southward, and short substorm bursts that a three-hour Kp average can miss. [1] [4]

What happened in May and October 2024

On 10 May 2024, NOAA observed a G5 (extreme) geomagnetic storm. NASA described it as the first G5 since 2003, driven by a series of CMEs that reached Earth together, and reported auroras at unusually low latitudes, including the southern US. [5] The USGS recorded a severe magnetic storm that began around midday Eastern Time and classified it as G5. [6] A citizen-science study of that night gathered reports of aurora at far lower latitudes than usual. [7]

On 10 October 2024, a fast CME linked to an X1.8 solar flare on 9 October arrived. NOAA's weekly summary records G4 (severe) levels on 10–11 October. [8] The USGS described a severe storm beginning at 11:15 a.m. EDT on 10 October that reached G4 and said aurorae were likely across much of the contiguous United States that night. [9] NASA's aurora guide includes a photo of aurora visible in Maryland in October 2024. [3]

These events were exceptional. The previous G5 storm was in 2003. [5] NOAA's storm scale puts G5 conditions at about 4 days per 11-year solar cycle on average and G4 at about 60 days, and describes G4 aurora as having been seen as low as Alabama and northern California. [10] Don't expect a repeat every year. On the other hand, strong storms remain possible for some time after solar maximum. [11]

Where to go: dark skies with a northern view

Two things matter: darkness and a low, unobstructed northern horizon. A hilltop, a large field, a lakeshore facing north, or a mountain overlook all work. NOAA advises getting away from city lights to a place with a clear view to the north, ideally from a hill. [2]

In Virginia, the state's Department of Conservation and Recreation lists four state parks designated as International Dark Sky Parks by DarkSky International: Staunton River, James River, Natural Bridge and Sky Meadows. It also notes that Rappahannock County Park is a designated International Dark Sky Park. [12] Staunton River State Park, near Scottsburg in southern Virginia, was the state's first, designated in July 2015. [12] [13] Check each park's hours and overnight rules before you go.

Shenandoah National Park is not on that list, but the National Park Service describes its high elevation and distance from cities as making it a great place for stargazing on the East Coast. It names the Big Meadows area near the Rapidan Fire Road as a good spot. [14] Overlooks along Skyline Drive that face north or west can give a long horizon, but the park's night access and road conditions vary, so check before driving at night.

Elsewhere in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest, DarkSky International's directory of International Dark Sky Places is the best starting point, and the National Park Service's Night Skies program lists parks that protect natural darkness. [15] [16] Any dark rural spot with a good northern horizon can work during a strong storm.

On the night: what to do

When NOAA issues a G4 or higher watch, or our Aurora tonight page shows Kp 8 or more forecast for the coming night, check the cloud forecast and plan a site. Go out after full dark and look north, giving your eyes 15–20 minutes to adapt away from screens. NOAA puts the best activity around local midnight, roughly 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., and big storms can produce aurora earlier. [2] [3]

Take a test photo to the north with your phone's night mode, even if you see nothing obvious. At these latitudes the camera often picks up a red or pink glow before your eyes do. Our photography guide covers phone and camera settings. [3]

If you want more reliable odds, travel north. The Upper Midwest needs less activity than Virginia, and Alaska needs far less. Our best places and times guide compares options.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. NOAA SWPC: Planetary K-index (product description) https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/planetary-k-index
2. NOAA SWPC: Tips on Viewing the Aurora https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora
3. NASA Science: NASA's Guide to Finding and Photographing Auroras https://science.nasa.gov/feature/nasas-guide-to-finding-and-photographing-auroras/
4. NOAA SWPC: Real Time Solar Wind https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/real-time-solar-wind
5. NASA Science (2024): How NASA Tracked the Most Intense Solar Storm in Decades https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/how-nasa-tracked-the-most-intense-solar-storm-in-decades/
6. USGS Geomagnetism Program: May 10, 2024 Magnetic Disturbance https://www.usgs.gov/programs/geomagnetism/science/may-10-2024-magnetic-disturbance
7. Grandin, M. et al. (2024). The Gannon Storm: citizen science observations during the geomagnetic superstorm of 10 May 2024. Geoscience Communication. doi:10.5194/gc-7-297-2024
8. NOAA SWPC Weekly Highlights and Forecasts, 07–13 October 2024 (PDF, NOAA NCEI archive) https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/space-weather/swpc-products/weekly_reports/PRFs_of_SGD/2024/10/prf2563.pdf
9. USGS Geomagnetism Program: Severe Magnetic Storm (October 10, 2024) https://www.usgs.gov/programs/geomagnetism/science/severe-magnetic-storm-ongoing
10. NOAA SWPC: NOAA Space Weather Scales https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
11. NASA (2024): NASA, NOAA: Sun Reaches Maximum Phase in 11-Year Solar Cycle https://science.nasa.gov/science-research/heliophysics/nasa-noaa-sun-reaches-maximum-phase-in-11-year-solar-cycle/
12. Virginia DCR: Virginia State Parks' International Dark Sky Parks https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/dark-sky-parks
13. DarkSky International: Staunton River State Park https://darksky.org/places/staunton-river-state-park-dark-sky-park/
14. U.S. National Park Service, Shenandoah: Night Sky https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/nightsky.htm
15. DarkSky International: International Dark Sky Places https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/
16. U.S. National Park Service: Night Skies https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nightskies/index.htm

Sources were checked on 2026-10-21. Text on this page is original. Quoted figures are attributed and linked to the source. General education only, not for safety or operational decisions. Disclaimer.