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Northern lights in Washington, DC

Very rarely. Washington, DC needs a severe or extreme geomagnetic storm, and even then the city's lights hide nearly everything except what a phone camera can pull out. During the May 2024 storm, FOX 5 DC reported that some people near the capital caught a glimpse.

Tonight's northern lights forecast

Loading NOAA's Kp forecast…

How strong a storm each part of DC needs

The farther a place is from the magnetic pole, the stronger the geomagnetic storm needed to push the aurora into view. These levels come from each city's geomagnetic latitude and NOAA's storm scale, which says how far south aurora is usually seen at each level. They are for aurora low on the northern horizon from a dark spot; overhead displays need more.

CityGeomagnetic latitudeAurora usually needsTonight
Washington48°Kp 7.4 (G4)

How these levels are worked out: our methods.

Can you see the aurora in Washington, DC?

Only in the rarest storms. DC lies between NOAA’s examples for strong storms (Illinois) and severe storms (Alabama). Add the city’s light pollution and the real chances come with severe storms, about 60 days per 11-year solar cycle, and extreme storms, only a few times per cycle. The table above compares tonight’s NOAA forecast with the level the city needs.

What May 2024 showed

The May 10–11, 2024 storm was the strongest in more than two decades. NASA says auroras reached the southern US, with reports down to about 26 degrees magnetic latitude, well south of Washington. FOX 5 DC noted in its review of the year that some people near the area caught a glimpse of the northern lights that May.

Where to go

  • Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia: a certified International Dark Sky Park in the Blue Ridge foothills west of the city.
  • Rural northern Maryland and the Virginia Piedmont: farm country north and west of the suburbs is far darker than anything inside the Beltway.
  • Open ground facing north: the aurora stays low at this latitude, so hills and trees to the north will hide it.

Tips for DC skywatchers

  • Use your phone’s night mode. If a gray glow turns pink in a photo, it is the aurora.
  • Look near midnight. NOAA says activity usually peaks within an hour or two of midnight.
  • Watch for storm watches. DC’s chances come only with the biggest storms. In May 2024, FOX 5 DC reported NOAA’s first severe storm watch in 19 years.

Local resources

Browse certified dark-sky places and read how to see the northern lights. Neighbors: Maryland and Virginia.

Dark-sky places near Washington

Certified dark-sky places are among the best spots to watch for aurora: little light pollution and, often, open views to the north.

Questions and answers

Where can I drive from DC to see the northern lights?

Head north or west into rural Maryland or Virginia, away from the suburbs. Sky Meadows State Park in Virginia, about an hour west, is a certified International Dark Sky Park.

Can a phone see the aurora from inside the city?

During a big storm it sometimes can, as a faint glow low in the north. It is much easier from a dark spot outside the Beltway.

How will I know a storm is coming?

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issues geomagnetic storm watches when a solar eruption is headed for Earth, often a day or so ahead. Check the live forecast on this page when a watch is out.

Other states

Sources