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Northern Lights in Montana, United States
In Montana the aurora is visible from about Kp 2.7, first near Kalispell. Bozeman has the darkest skies among the larger places.
Weather in Montana
General forecast for Kalispell, the main town in Montana. Tonight's cloud cover for every town is on its aurora page.
Planning further ahead? See the hour-by-hour weather forecast for Kalispell on Atlas of Seasons.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalispell | 3.7 | 2 | NNE | Bright suburban sky | 22,052 |
| Great Falls | 4 | 2.3 | NNE | Bright suburban sky | 59,638 |
| Billings | 4.3 | 2.7 | NNE | Bright suburban sky | 117,116 |
| Missoula | 4.3 | 2.7 | NNE | Bright suburban sky | 71,022 |
| Helena | 4.3 | 2.7 | NNE | Bright suburban sky | 32,091 |
| Bozeman | 4.7 | 3 | NNE | Suburban sky | 43,405 |
| Butte | 4.7 | 3 | NNE | Bright suburban sky | 34,190 |
Best months in Montana
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
September has been the best month (14% of nights), followed by April (10%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- Kp 0–2 Quiet camera in Kalispell Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active eye in Kalispell Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
- Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
- Kp 8 Severe storm (G4) Central Europe to the eye; red sky in photos from northern Italy, Spain, the Balkans and Turkey's Black Sea coast.
- Kp 9 Extreme storm (G5) Seen across Europe and the US; in photos as far south as the Mediterranean, Turkey and North Africa (May 2024).
The town pages in this region also cover 212 villages and districts nearby.
Smaller places
- AbsarokeeKp 4.7
- AnacondaKp 4.7
- BakerKp 4
- BelgradeKp 4.7
- Big SkyKp 5.7
- Big TimberKp 4.7
- BigforkKp 4
- Bonner-West RiversideKp 5.3
- BoulderKp 4.7
- BrowningKp 3.3
- ChinookKp 3.3
- ChoteauKp 3.7
- ClancyKp 5
- ClintonKp 4.3
- ColstripKp 4.3
- Columbia FallsKp 3.7
- ColumbusKp 4.7
- ConradKp 3.7
- Crow AgencyKp 4.3
- Cut BankKp 3.3
- Deer LodgeKp 4.7
- DillonKp 5
- East HelenaKp 4.3
- East MissoulaKp 4.7
- EurekaKp 3.7
- EvergreenKp 3.7
- ForsythKp 4
- Fort Belknap AgencyKp 3.3
- Fort BentonKp 3.7
- Four CornersKp 4.7
- FrenchtownKp 4.7
- GlasgowKp 3.3
- GlendiveKp 3.7
- HamiltonKp 4.7
- HardinKp 4.3
- HavreKp 3.3
- Helena Valley NortheastKp 4.3
- Helena Valley NorthwestKp 4.3
- Helena Valley SoutheastKp 4.3
- Helena Valley West CentralKp 4.3
- Helena West SideKp 4.3
- LakesideKp 4
- Lame DeerKp 4.3
- LaurelKp 4.7
- LewistownKp 4
- LibbyKp 3.7
- LincolnKp 4.3
- LivingstonKp 4.7
- LockwoodKp 4.3
- LoloKp 4.3
- Malmstrom Air Force BaseKp 4
- MaltaKp 3.3
- ManhattanKp 4.7
- Miles CityKp 4
- Montana CityKp 4.3
- North BrowningKp 3.3
- Orchard HomesKp 4.3
- PabloKp 4
- PlainsKp 4.3
- PlentywoodKp 2.7
- PolsonKp 4
- Red LodgeKp 5
- RonanKp 4
- RoundupKp 4.3
- ScobeyKp 2.7
- Seeley LakeKp 4.3
- ShelbyKp 3.3
- SidneyKp 3.3
- SomersKp 4
- South BrowningKp 3.3
- StevensvilleKp 4.7
- Sun PrairieKp 4
- Thompson FallsKp 4.3
- Three ForksKp 4.7
- TownsendKp 4.3
- Warm SpringsKp 4.7
- West GlendiveKp 3.7
- West YellowstoneKp 5.3
- WhitefishKp 3.7
- WhitehallKp 4.7
- Wolf PointKp 3