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Northern lights in Oklahoma

Rarely. Oklahoma needs a severe or extreme geomagnetic storm, but recent ones have reached it: on October 10, 2024 the aurora was seen from Grand Lake in the northeast to Woods County on the Kansas line.

Tonight's northern lights forecast

Loading NOAA's Kp forecast…

How strong a storm each city in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma the level ranges from Kp 8.1 (G4) in Tulsa to Kp 8.5 (G4) in Lawton.

CityGeomagnetic latitudeAurora usually needsTonight
Tulsa44.4°Kp 8.1 (G4)
Enid44.6°Kp 8.1 (G4)
Stillwater44.4°Kp 8.1 (G4)
Oklahoma City43.7°Kp 8.3 (G4)
Lawton42.7°Kp 8.5 (G4)

How these levels are worked out: our methods.

Can you see the northern lights in Oklahoma?

Only during the biggest storms. Northern Oklahoma sits near 45 degrees geomagnetic latitude, the line NOAA’s scale gives for severe storms (its example is Alabama). Severe storms come on about 60 days per 11-year solar cycle. The south of the state usually needs an extreme storm, which comes only a few times per cycle. The table above compares tonight’s forecast with each city’s level.

What recent storms showed

  • October 10, 2024: Public Radio Tulsa reported the aurora visible in Oklahoma. A Tulsa videographer photographed a red glow at Grand Lake near Jay, and the Oklahoma Mesonet posted images from its May Ranch site in Woods County, near the Kansas border.
  • May 10–11, 2024: during the strongest storm to reach Earth in two decades, NASA says auroras reached the southern US, with reports down to about 26 degrees magnetic latitude.

Where to look

  • Black Mesa State Park: in the far western Panhandle, certified as an International Dark Sky Park in 2025.
  • Northern Oklahoma: areas near the Kansas line, like the Mesonet’s Woods County site, have the state’s best odds.
  • Grand Lake: in the northeast, where the October 2024 photos were taken from the water’s edge.

Tips

  • Use your camera. NOAA notes that a dim aurora looks pale to the eye and shows color on a camera.
  • Look low in the north. The aurora seldom rises high at this latitude.
  • Escape the city glow. Oklahoma City and Tulsa brighten wide areas.

Read how to see the northern lights and browse certified dark-sky places. Neighbors: Kansas and Texas.

Dark-sky places near Oklahoma City

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 Oklahoma City or Tulsa?

During the biggest storms, mostly in photos. City light hides faint displays, so drive north into the countryside.

Is Black Mesa State Park good for the aurora?

Its dark sky helps. DarkSky International certified it as an International Dark Sky Park in 2025. It lies at the far western tip of the Panhandle, at about the same geomagnetic latitude as the rest of northern Oklahoma.

Do I need a camera?

Usually. At Oklahoma's latitude the aurora is often a faint glow low in the north that a phone's night mode shows far better than the eye.

Other states

Sources