Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 46 °F
1 percent cloud cover - 41 °F2 percent cloud cover
- 38 °F2 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Grand Forks
Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States
47°55′31.1″N ⋅ 97°1′58.4″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Grand Forks tonight?
No significant aurora activity is expected in Grand Forks over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 7:24 PM to 6:59 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%.
Aurora Forecast for Grand Forks, ND
Today at 1:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:100%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Grand Forks
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Grand Forks, ND
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Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 42 °F
98 percent cloud cover - 40 °F
77 percent cloud cover - 36 °F13 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 39 °F6 percent cloud cover
- 36 °F
13 percent cloud cover - 36 °F38 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 07:24 PM to 06:59 AM (11 h 35 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Grand Forks, ND
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Grand Forks
The nights in Grand Forks are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Grand Forks: your best chances are in October.
- Dark hours
- Chance of aurora
Long-term averages for clear nights, since 1985. Geomagnetic data: GFZ, CC BY 4.0
Every night of 2026 in Grand Forks, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Grand Forks
Grand Forks sits at 47.9°N on the Red River in eastern North Dakota, across from East Grand Forks, Minnesota, with about 59,000 people and the University of North Dakota. The Canadian border is about 75 miles north up I-29, and the state capital, Bismarck, lies a degree of latitude further south.
A G1 minor geomagnetic storm is usually enough for color above the northern horizon from the edge of town. Just short of that, a glow can sit low in the north out in the fields. In the strongest storms the Grand Forks Herald has run photos of the aurora over the Sorlie Bridge, the 1929 truss bridge between the two downtowns. Phone cameras in night mode pick up color the eye does not, so a sky that looks gray can come out pink and green in the photo; see how to photograph the aurora with an iPhone.
The bed of Lake Agassiz
The valley is the bed of glacial Lake Agassiz and very flat, so a few miles out of town only fields lie between you and the northern horizon.
- Gravel roads north toward Manvel, ten to twenty minutes out. Pull well off the road and the sky is open all around.
- Kelly’s Slough National Wildlife Refuge, about 12 miles west. Public access is limited to the parking lot and raised viewing deck on its east side, plus the county roads alongside.
- Turtle River State Park, about 22 miles west on Highway 2 near Arvilla. The park lies in a wooded valley, so walk out to the prairie meadow for open sky; the aurora has been photographed there over the meadow and the river. A warming hut by the sledding hill is open on winter days.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights in Grand Forks, ND?
Yes. At 47.9°N on open prairie, Grand Forks gets the aurora from weaker storms than cities further south. In the strongest storms the Grand Forks Herald has run photos of it over the Sorlie Bridge downtown.
City lights hide the fainter nights. For those, drive ten to twenty minutes north toward Manvel or west to Kelly's Slough, where the farmland runs flat to the horizon.
Is Turtle River State Park a good place to see the northern lights?
Yes. It is about 22 miles west of Grand Forks on Highway 2 near Arvilla, and The Forum has photographed the aurora there over a prairie meadow and over the Turtle River. The park sits in a wooded valley, so for a low display in the north walk out of the trees to open ground. In winter there are packed trails and a warming hut by the sledding hill.
Can you watch the aurora at Kelly's Slough National Wildlife Refuge?
Yes, from the parking area and the viewing deck. The refuge is about 12 miles west of Grand Forks, roughly a 15-minute drive, among flat wetland and farmland. Public access is limited to the parking lot on the east boundary and the short trail to the raised deck. The rest of the refuge is closed, and drones are not allowed. The county roads along its edge are the other option.
How cold does it get at night in Grand Forks in winter?
Cold enough to plan around. January lows in Grand Forks average about −3°F and February lows about 1°F, and the city's record is −43°F, set in January 1912. The aurora is not only a winter sight here, though: displays have been photographed in September and May, well outside the deep-cold months.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Grand Forks?
The nights in Grand Forks are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Grand Forks: your best chances are in October. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 13 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Grand Forks in summer?
Yes. The nights in Grand Forks are dark all year, so the aurora can show in summer too when it reaches this far south.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Grand Forks?
In Grand Forks, you usually need at least Kp 5 to have a reasonable chance of seeing the northern lights. Lower Kp can still bring a faint aurora display low on the northern horizon, but it is less common.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 1.3 to 1.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Grand Forks, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.