Colorado · MT
Can You See the Northern Lights in Colorado Tonight?
NO (Fort Collins area). Not worth a special trip tonight. Aurora activity is not expected to reach Colorado tonight.
NO
Not worth a special trip tonight.
Tonight’s hours (MT)
| Time | Reading | Sky |
|---|---|---|
| 11:45 PM–12:15 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 12:15 AM–12:45 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 12:45 AM–1:15 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 1:15 AM–1:45 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 1:45 AM–2:15 AM MT | NO | Clear |
Rest of the night
| 2:15 AM–2:45 AM MT | NO | Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 2:45 AM–3:15 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 3:15 AM–3:45 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 3:45 AM–4:15 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 4:15 AM–4:45 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 4:45 AM–5:15 AM MT | NO | Clear |
| 5:15 AM–5:45 AM MT | not dark yet | — |
| 5:45 AM–6:15 AM MT | not dark yet | — |
Why this verdict
- Aurora reach
- Aurora activity is not expected to reach Colorado tonight.
- Clouds
- Clear
- Darkness
- —
- Moon
- —
- City glow
- The Front Range (Denver–Boulder–Colorado Springs) is a bright light dome. Northern plains and mountain parks north of I-70 are darker; going south into the San Luis Valley is darker but magnetically worse.
- Data live
- Live reading, not a full local guide.
What to do
- Leave Denver if you are trying at all. You need a dark north horizon, not a city skyline. Do not drive south expecting a better oval — go north or onto the eastern plains with a clear view of the northern sky.
- Face north.
- Give your eyes 30–60 minutes in the dark.
- A phone camera may pick up a faint display before your eyes do.
Other points in Colorado
- DenverNO
- Steamboat SpringsNO
In this state
Northern Colorado (Fort Collins, North Park, the Wyoming border) is the only part of the state that is even marginally realistic in a strong storm. Southern Colorado almost never sees aurora except in extreme events.
Nearby
Local FAQ
Can you see the northern lights from Denver?
Almost never from the city itself. Denver’s skyglow washes out horizon aurora. Only a strong geomagnetic storm plus a dark site north of the metro gives a realistic chance.
Is it better in the mountains?
Only if you have a dark, unobstructed north view. A high peak facing south or sitting above a town’s lights does not help. Northern parks and the plains north of the Front Range are more useful than a random 14er.
How strong does a storm need to be?
Colorado is a mid-latitude, event-only location. Quiet or moderate nights are a no. You generally need a strong storm (roughly Kp 7 class) and clear skies.
Tonight in Colorado — which part of the state?
This page’s headline uses northern Colorado (Fort Collins area), not Denver and not a geographic centroid. Southern counties are called out separately when they differ.