Columbus, OH · magnetic latitude 49.3°
Northern lights in Columbus: tonight’s chance
Columbus sits in the middle of Ohio, far from Lake Erie, so its aurora nights depend on a strong storm and a short drive out of the metro glow.
Tonight at Columbus, OH
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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 | 7.1 (G3 strong) |
| Cloud cover in the dark hours | loading |
| Dark sky (Sun 18° down) | 8:25 PM to 6:11 AM EDT |
| Moon | 13% lit |
| Right now, OVATION (30 to 90 min) | loading or unavailable |
| Magnetic latitude (AACGM) | 49.3° |
Hour by hour, EDT
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 Columbus
- 7.1
- Storm level needed
- G3 (Strong)
- Kp for aurora overhead
- 8.3
- Most clear dark hours
- September
Columbus needs a planetary Kp of about 7.1 for the northern lights to clear its northern horizon, a G3 (Strong) storm on the NOAA scale. At 49.3 degrees magnetic latitude in the AACGM model, Ohio's capital is about 1.3 degrees south of Cleveland and 0.7 degrees north of Cincinnati, which needs Kp 7.3. An overhead display would take about Kp 8.3, the territory of severe storms. Being far from the lake has an upside: the NASA POWER cloud average falls to 46% in September, and even the greyest month, January, averages 78%, below Cleveland's 84% peak. With 10.9 hours of full darkness on November 15 and 8.5 on September 15, September, November and October offer the most clear dark hours. The tool checks tonight's forecast against hourly NWS sky cover for Columbus.
A capital in the middle of the till plains
Columbus is Ohio's largest city, set on the Scioto River roughly halfway between Lake Erie and the Ohio River. That middle position defines its aurora odds. There is no lake horizon to lean on, as there is in Cleveland or Toledo, and the threshold, Kp 7.1, sits above that of any city on the Ohio lakeshore. North of the city the land flattens into glacial till plain, farmland with long straight roads and few tall obstacles, which is what an aurora low on the horizon requires. That is the useful direction for two reasons: the view looks away from the city, and every mile north brings you slightly closer to the oval.
The rolling hills to the southeast are the darkest country within reach of Columbus, and they suit stargazing well. For aurora they work against you twice. Ridges and gorges block the low northern sky, and the metro's glow sits right in that part of the horizon.
How much storm Columbus needs
A G3 (Strong) storm is the price of entry here, and the margin matters. At Kp 7.1 the aurora barely clears the horizon in the view line used on this site; at Kp 8, a severe storm, it stands far higher, and around Kp 8.3 the oval itself would reach the zenith. Those severe nights are when central Ohio sees red and green to the north sometimes even from suburban yards.
What Kp does this town need?
Kp to see aurora from here
7.1
| Magnetic latitude (AACGM) | 49.3° |
| Kp for aurora overhead | 8.3 |
| Storm level | G3 Strong |
| How often that level comes | about 130 days per 11-year cycle |
View line: the more southern of the SWPC oval rule and the NOAA G scale latitudes at each Kp.
The Kp index page explains the three-hour blocks the forecast uses, and the Cleveland page shows what the lake shore adds two hours north.
An inland sky that clears in autumn
Distance from the Great Lakes gives Columbus a gentler cloud year than northeast Ohio. Lake-effect bands seldom reach this far south, and the clearest stretch arrives in early autumn: September averages 46% cloud amount in NASA POWER data. That month also brings a dark window from 9:12 PM to 5:41 AM on the 15th. By November darkness runs 10.9 hours, from 6:49 PM, so a storm in the early evening still has a chance. Midwinter is greyer, with January the cloudiest month at 78%. In June, full darkness shrinks to 4.9 hours, starting at 11:05 PM. Short summer nights and a high threshold make that season the weakest bet of the year. The Ohio page compares the other cities of the state.
Kp needed around Columbus
| Town | Magnetic latitude | Kp to see it | Kp overhead | Storm level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 50.9° | 6.8 | 7.5 | G3 (Strong) |
| Cleveland | 50.6° | 6.9 | 7.7 | G3 (Strong) |
| Akron | 50.2° | 7.0 | 7.9 | G3 (Strong) |
| Columbus | 49.3° | 7.1 | 8.3 | G3 (Strong) |
| Dayton | 49.2° | 7.2 | 8.4 | G3 (Strong) |
| Cincinnati | 48.6° | 7.3 | 8.7 | G3 (Strong) |
Darkness and clouds by month in Columbus
| Month | Dark hours | Dark sky, 15th | Mean cloud | Clear dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.2 h | 7:06 PM to 6:16 AM | 78% | 2.5 h |
| February | 10.2 h | 7:38 PM to 5:52 AM | 73% | 2.7 h |
| March | 9.0 h | 9:09 PM to 6:11 AM | 68% | 2.9 h |
| April | 7.5 h | 9:47 PM to 5:15 AM | 63% | 2.8 h |
| May | 5.9 h | 10:31 PM to 4:25 AM | 64% | 2.1 h |
| June | 4.9 h | 11:05 PM to 3:59 AM | 55% | 2.2 h |
| July | 5.4 h | 10:56 PM to 4:19 AM | 54% | 2.5 h |
| August | 6.9 h | 10:10 PM to 5:02 AM | 50% | 3.5 h |
| September | 8.5 h | 9:12 PM to 5:41 AM | 46% | 4.6 h |
| October | 9.8 h | 8:22 PM to 6:13 AM | 57% | 4.3 h |
| November | 10.9 h | 6:49 PM to 5:44 AM | 61% | 4.3 h |
| December | 11.4 h | 6:45 PM to 6:09 AM | 76% | 2.7 h |