Fargo, ND · magnetic latitude 55.8°
Northern lights in Fargo: tonight’s chance
Fargo needs one of the smallest storms of any sizable US city outside Alaska, and the Red River Valley around it is flat to the horizon.
Tonight at Fargo, ND
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Reading the SWPC Kp forecast and the cloud forecast…
| Kp forecast during the dark hours | not yet forecast |
|---|---|
| Kp needed here | 5.1 (G1 minor) |
| Cloud cover in the dark hours | loading |
| Dark sky (Sun 18° down) | 8:24 PM to 6:02 AM CDT |
| Moon | 13% lit |
| Right now, OVATION (30 to 90 min) | loading or unavailable |
| Magnetic latitude (AACGM) | 55.8° |
Hour by hour, CDT
7 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
8 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
9 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
10 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
11 PM
Kp –
– ☁
No
12 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
1 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
2 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
3 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
4 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
5 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
6 AM
Kp –
– ☁
No
Rules checked · Built by Radif Partners · How the answer works
- Kp to see it from Fargo
- 5.1
- Storm level needed
- G1 (Minor)
- Kp for aurora overhead
- 5.1
- Most clear dark hours
- January
From Fargo the northern lights need a planetary Kp of about 5.1, a G1 (Minor) storm on the NOAA scale, which makes it one of the easiest sizable cities in the lower 48 for the aurora. Fargo sits at 55.8 degrees magnetic latitude in the AACGM model, 1.6 degrees more than Minneapolis, which needs about Kp 5.9. At Kp 5.1 the edge of the oval itself reaches the city, so on a G1 night it can be close to overhead. The flat bed of the old glacial lake that forms the Red River Valley leaves the horizon open on every side. Fargo's NASA POWER cloud amount is lowest in July, at 48%, and highest in December, at 68%. By clear dark hours the best months are January, February and November.
The bed of Lake Agassiz
Fargo sits in the middle of the Red River Valley, which is not a valley in the usual sense but the floor of an ancient glacial lake, Lake Agassiz, one of the flattest landscapes in North America. For aurora watching that flatness is the main local asset. The aurora at Fargo's threshold sits a few degrees above the northern horizon, and in the valley there are no ridges or forests to hide it, only the glow of towns. Ten or fifteen miles of driving north of the metro area are enough to reach dark farmland.
How dark, how clear: one town, one month
Hours of full darkness on the 15th
11.4 h
| Dark sky | 6:53 PM to 6:19 AM |
| Including nautical twilight | 12.6 h |
| Mean cloud amount (NASA POWER) | 62% |
| Clear dark hours on an average night | 4.4 h |
Computed for 2027; the hours move by a few minutes from one year to the next.
Why Fargo beats cities farther north
Fargo lies at 46.9 degrees north, a little south of Seattle, yet needs about 1.3 Kp less. The reason is the magnetic pole's position, which pulls the auroral oval south over central North America. For the same reason Fargo has the edge over Minneapolis, a few hours southeast. In the hierarchy of this site, only the Canadian border strip, northern Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula need smaller storms in the lower 48.
Fargo and Moorhead after dark
The twin cities straddle the Red River, and their combined glow is visible for many miles across the flat valley. It is not a bright dome by big-city standards, but on a G1 night, when the aurora sits low, it matters. The roads north along either side of the river reach dark farmland quickly. Shelterbelts, the rows of trees planted around farmsteads, are the only obstacles on that horizon; a section road between them leaves the view to the north entirely open.
Blizzards, inversions and clear Arctic nights
Winter brings two kinds of weather to the valley: blizzards with blowing snow that hide everything, and calm, very cold nights under Arctic high pressure that are among the clearest of the year. The second kind is what aurora watchers wait for. Spring and autumn are milder, with 8.7 hours of darkness on March 15 and 8.0 on September 15. The North Dakota page compares the rest of the state, and the Winnipeg page the city at the north end of the same valley.
Kp needed around Fargo
| Town | Magnetic latitude | Kp to see it | Kp overhead | Storm level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Forks | 56.8° | 4.6 | 4.6 | no storm |
| Minot | 56.7° | 4.6 | 4.6 | no storm |
| Williston | 56.4° | 4.8 | 4.8 | G1 (Minor) |
| Fargo | 55.8° | 5.1 | 5.1 | G1 (Minor) |
| Bismarck | 55.4° | 5.3 | 5.3 | G1 (Minor) |
| Dickinson | 55.3° | 5.4 | 5.4 | G1 (Minor) |
Darkness and clouds by month in Fargo
| Month | Dark hours | Dark sky, 15th | Mean cloud | Clear dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.4 h | 6:53 PM to 6:19 AM | 62% | 4.4 h |
| February | 10.2 h | 7:33 PM to 5:48 AM | 60% | 4.1 h |
| March | 8.7 h | 9:14 PM to 5:56 AM | 66% | 2.9 h |
| April | 6.6 h | 10:08 PM to 4:45 AM | 61% | 2.6 h |
| May | 4.3 h | 11:15 PM to 3:31 AM | 61% | 1.7 h |
| June | 2.4 h | 12:17 AM to 2:38 AM | 57% | 1.0 h |
| July | 3.4 h | 11:51 PM to 3:15 AM | 48% | 1.8 h |
| August | 5.8 h | 10:38 PM to 4:25 AM | 49% | 3.0 h |
| September | 8.0 h | 9:23 PM to 5:21 AM | 50% | 4.0 h |
| October | 9.7 h | 8:21 PM to 6:05 AM | 60% | 3.9 h |
| November | 11.1 h | 6:38 PM to 5:45 AM | 64% | 4.0 h |
| December | 11.8 h | 6:30 PM to 6:15 AM | 68% | 3.8 h |