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Northern Lights in South Dakota, United States
In South Dakota the aurora is visible from about Kp 4, first near Aberdeen. Aberdeen has the darkest skies among the larger places.
Weather in South Dakota
General forecast for Aberdeen, the main town in South Dakota. Tonight's cloud cover for every town is on its aurora page.
Planning further ahead? See the hour-by-hour weather forecast for Aberdeen on Atlas of Seasons.
| Place | Kp needed | Kp for photos | Look towards | Light pollution | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen | 4 | 2.3 | N | Bright suburban sky | 28,102 |
| Watertown | 4.3 | 2.7 | N | Bright suburban sky | 22,073 |
| Brookings | 4.7 | 3 | N | Bright suburban sky | 23,657 |
| Pierre | 4.7 | 3 | N | Bright suburban sky | 14,091 |
| Huron | 4.7 | 3 | N | Bright suburban sky | 13,313 |
| Spearfish | 4.7 | 3 | N | Bright suburban sky | 11,283 |
| Sioux Falls | 5 | 3.3 | N | City sky | 171,544 |
| Rapid City | 5 | 3.3 | N | City sky | 73,569 |
| Mitchell | 5 | 3.3 | N | Bright suburban sky | 15,669 |
| Yankton | 5.3 | 3.7 | N | Bright suburban sky | 14,557 |
| Vermillion | 5.3 | 3.7 | N | Bright suburban sky | 10,738 |
Best months in South Dakota
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 October (10%).
All years Near solar maximum Near solar minimum
- Kp 0–2 Quiet camera in Aberdeen 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 Aberdeen 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 626 villages and districts nearby.
Smaller places
- BalticKp 4.7
- Belle FourcheKp 4.7
- BeresfordKp 5
- BlackhawkKp 5
- Box ElderKp 5
- BrandonKp 5
- BrittonKp 4
- CantonKp 5
- ChamberlainKp 5
- ClarkKp 4.3
- Clear LakeKp 4.3
- Colonial Pine HillsKp 5
- CrooksKp 5
- CusterKp 5
- Dakota DunesKp 5.3
- De SmetKp 4.7
- DeadwoodKp 5
- Dell RapidsKp 4.7
- Eagle ButteKp 4.3
- Elk PointKp 5.3
- Ellsworth Air Force BaseKp 5
- FlandreauKp 4.7
- Fort PierreKp 4.7
- Fort ThompsonKp 4.7
- FreemanKp 5
- GarretsonKp 4.7
- GettysburgKp 4.3
- GregoryKp 5.3
- GrotonKp 4
- HarrisburgKp 5
- HartfordKp 5
- Hot SpringsKp 5.3
- LeadKp 5.7
- LemmonKp 4
- LennoxKp 5
- MadisonKp 4.7
- MartinKp 5.3
- MilbankKp 4
- MillerKp 4.7
- MissionKp 5.3
- MobridgeKp 4
- North Eagle ButteKp 4.3
- North Sioux CityKp 5.3
- North SpearfishKp 4.7
- OglalaKp 5.3
- ParkstonKp 5
- Pine RidgeKp 5.3
- PlatteKp 5
- PorcupineKp 5.3
- Rapid ValleyKp 5
- RedfieldKp 4.3
- RosebudKp 5.3
- SalemKp 5
- SissetonKp 4
- SpringfieldKp 5.3
- SturgisKp 5
- SummersetKp 5
- TeaKp 5
- TyndallKp 5.3
- VolgaKp 4.7
- WagnerKp 5.3
- WebsterKp 4
- WinnerKp 5