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Northern lights in Louisiana

Very rarely. Louisiana needs an extreme geomagnetic storm, the kind that comes only a few times per solar cycle. During the May 2024 storm the aurora was seen in Southwest Louisiana, where viewers caught its pink glow with long-exposure photos.

Tonight's northern lights forecast

Loading NOAA's Kp forecast…

How strong a storm each city in Louisiana 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. Across Louisiana the level ranges from Kp 8.8 (G5) in Shreveport to stronger than Kp 9 (rare, extreme storms only) in Kenner.

CityGeomagnetic latitudeAurora usually needsTonight
Shreveport40.9°Kp 8.8 (G5)
Monroe41.1°Kp 8.8 (G5)
Alexandria39.8°Kp 9 (G5)
Baton Rouge39.1°stronger than Kp 9 (rare, extreme storms only)
Lafayette38.8°stronger than Kp 9 (rare, extreme storms only)
New Orleans38.7°stronger than Kp 9 (rare, extreme storms only)
Lake Charles38.7°stronger than Kp 9 (rare, extreme storms only)
Kenner38.7°stronger than Kp 9 (rare, extreme storms only)

How these levels are worked out: our methods.

Can you see the northern lights in Louisiana?

Only during the most extreme storms. NOAA’s scale says extreme storms have reached Florida and southern Texas, at about 40 degrees geomagnetic latitude, and Louisiana lies close to that band. Those storms come only a few times per 11-year solar cycle. Even then the aurora is usually a low glow on the northern horizon. The table above compares tonight’s forecast with each city’s level.

What May 2024 showed

The May 10–11, 2024 storm was the strongest in more than two decades. KPLC reported that the aurora was visible that Friday night in Southwest Louisiana, a sight usually reserved for places far to the north. NASA says the storm’s auroras reached the southern US, with reports down to about 26 degrees magnetic latitude.

Where to look

  • North Louisiana: the most northerly part of the state, with rural farmland and lakes away from Shreveport and Monroe.
  • Open fields and levees: any spot with an unbroken view north works, since the aurora stays near the horizon.
  • Away from cities and industrial plants: their lights wash out a faint glow near the horizon.

Tips

  • Use your camera. NOAA notes that a dim aurora looks pale to the eye and shows color on a camera.
  • Look very low in the north. Make sure trees and buildings don’t block the horizon.
  • Watch for storm watches. NOAA can often predict big storms a day or so ahead when a solar eruption (a coronal mass ejection, or CME) is headed toward Earth. Those are Louisiana’s chances.

Read how to see the northern lights and check the moon phase. Neighbors: Arkansas and Mississippi.

Questions and answers

Can you see the northern lights in New Orleans or Baton Rouge?

Only during extreme storms, and city light hides nearly all of it. Drive to a dark rural spot with an open view north.

What does the aurora look like from Louisiana?

Usually a faint pink or red glow very low in the north. From this far south you see only the top of the aurora, where oxygen glows red, as NOAA explains.

Where is the darkest sky in Louisiana?

DarkSky International lists no certified dark-sky place in Louisiana. For the aurora, pick a rural spot far from towns and industrial lights, with an open view north.

Other states

Sources