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Northern lights in Montana

Yes, especially along the Hi-Line near the Canadian border, where even minor storms can light the northern horizon. Big dark skies help, but mountains can block the low northern view in the west.

Tonight's northern lights forecast

Loading NOAA's Kp forecast…

How strong a storm each city in Montana 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 Montana the level ranges from Kp 6.1 (G2) in Great Falls to Kp 6.5 (G3) in Butte.

CityGeomagnetic latitudeAurora usually needsTonight
Great Falls54.3°Kp 6.1 (G2)
Kalispell54.6°Kp 6.1 (G2)
Missoula53.3°Kp 6.3 (G2)
Helena53.3°Kp 6.3 (G2)
Billings52.9°Kp 6.4 (G3)
Bozeman52.5°Kp 6.5 (G3)
Butte52.5°Kp 6.5 (G3)

How these levels are worked out: our methods.

How often you can see the aurora in Montana

Montana’s northern edge sits about as far north, in geomagnetic terms, as northern Michigan and Maine, which NOAA’s scale names as places where minor storms are commonly seen. Minor storms happen on hundreds of days per solar cycle, so the Hi-Line has frequent chances. Southern Montana usually needs a moderate storm. The table above shows the level for each city against tonight’s forecast.

Where to watch

  • Glacier National Park: Visit Montana names Glacier as a prime spot. Together with Canada’s Waterton Lakes, it forms the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, a certified International Dark Sky Park.
  • Around Bozeman, Billings and Kalispell: Visit Montana calls Bozeman a great location for aurora-spotting and says you can see it just outside Billings and Kalispell. It also suggests Hyalite Canyon, just outside Bozeman, for dark night skies. Face north from a spot with little light pollution.
  • Medicine Rocks State Park: a 330-acre state park in southeastern Montana that was named an International Dark Sky Sanctuary in 2020, Visit Montana notes.
  • Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge: an International Dark Sky Sanctuary west of Kalispell.

Notable sightings

During the May 10–11, 2024 storm, the strongest in more than two decades, NASA’s Earth Observatory showed the aurora as a bright band across Montana and the other northern-tier states in satellite images. NASA noted that viewers on the ground saw colors from green, the most common, to purple and red.

Tips for Montana

  • Find a low northern horizon. In the western mountains, ridges can hide the aurora when it stays low. Valleys that open to the north, lakeshores and the plains east of the Rockies work best.
  • Pick the season. Visit Montana says winter, late fall and early spring are the best times, when nights are long.
  • Face north and let your eyes adjust. A faint aurora can look like a pale arc at first. Keep screens and headlights out of your eyes while you wait.
  • Bundle up. Visit Montana reminds aurora hunters that it might be chilly, and the best season is the cold half of the year.

Local resources

NOAA’s aurora dashboard shows tonight’s view line. Browse certified dark-sky places and read how to see the northern lights. Neighbors: North Dakota and Idaho.

Dark-sky places near Billings

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

Can you see the northern lights in Bozeman, Billings or Missoula?

Yes, during storms. Visit Montana calls Bozeman a great location for aurora-spotting and says you can see it just outside Billings and Kalispell. In mountain valleys such as Missoula's, pick a spot where the ridges to the north are low.

Is Glacier National Park good for the northern lights?

Yes. Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is a certified International Dark Sky Park, and its open lakeshores and meadows give clear views north when you pick a spot without peaks in the way.

What time should I look in Montana?

Visit Montana says around midnight or 1 a.m. is usually best. During the biggest storms the aurora can start soon after dark.

Other states

Sources