Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 37 °F
56 percent cloud cover - 34 °F
14 percent cloud cover - 32 °F
9 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Spokane
Spokane, Washington, United States
47°39′31.7″N ⋅ 117°25′33.6″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Spokane tonight?
No significant aurora activity is expected in Spokane over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 6:46 PM to 6:21 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%.
Aurora Forecast for Spokane, WA
Today at 11:00 AM
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 Spokane
| Local time | Aurora activity |
|---|---|
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity |
3-Night Weather Forecast for Spokane, WA
%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22currentColor%22%20d%3D%22M12.262%2045.52h29.086c7.43%200%2013.172-5.626%2013.172-12.82c0-7.29-6-12.75-13.946-12.68c-3-6.047-8.507-9.54-15-9.54c-8.648%200-15.937%206.82-16.617%2015.563c-4.547%201.242-7.477%205.063-7.477%209.68c0%205.812%204.36%209.797%2010.782%209.797%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E){kind=small}
Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 38 °F
98 percent cloud cover - 37 °F
71 percent cloud cover - 34 °F95 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 38 °F12 percent cloud cover
- 35 °F80 percent cloud cover
- 32 °F100 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 06:46 PM to 06:21 AM (11 h 35 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Spokane, WA
| 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. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 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 Spokane
The nights in Spokane are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Spokane: your best chances are in November, and again in March.
- 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 Spokane, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Spokane
Spokane sits at 47.7°N on the Spokane River in eastern Washington, 280 miles east of Seattle on I-90 and about 20 miles from the Idaho line.
Color overhead needs about a G3 strong geomagnetic storm. With a step or two less, a glow or a red tint may still show low in the north once you are out of town. Night mode on a phone pulls color out of a sky that looks gray to the eye; see how to photograph the aurora with an iPhone.
December cloud on the dry side of the Cascades
The Cascades take most of the Pacific moisture, so Spokane gets less than half of Seattle’s precipitation. That does not make midwinter clear: December gets only 22% of its possible sunshine, against 72% in September and 57% in October, so the clearer nights come in early autumn and around March.
Green Bluff above the Peone Prairie
Green Bluff is the farming plateau about 15 miles north of the city, about 500 feet above the Peone Prairie. The farms are private, so stay on the public roads.
Mount Spokane, Hauser Lake and Fishtrap
- Mount Spokane State Park, about 23 miles north-east. The summit road closes for the winter, and from December to March you need a Sno-Park permit. Night skiing lights the ski area on many winter evenings.
- Hauser Lake, Idaho, about 25 miles east, just over the state line. The north end, below Ragged Ridge, is where a Spokesman-Review aurora photo was taken.
- Fishtrap Recreation Area, public land off I-90 about 30 miles south-west, where the Spokane Astronomical Society holds stargazing nights.
Riverside State Park closes at dusk and Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in the evening, so neither works late at night.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights in Spokane?
Yes, during strong storms on clear nights, when it has been seen from Spokane and across the Inland Northwest. Downtown lights hide the weaker nights, so drive about 15 miles north to the farm roads on Green Bluff, which sits about 500 feet above the Peone Prairie. The farms are private, so stay on the public roads.
Can you watch the northern lights from Mount Spokane in winter?
Only partway up. Mount Spokane State Park is about 23 miles north-east of the city, but the summit road closes for the winter, and from December to March the park is a Sno-Park, so you need a Sno-Park permit rather than a Discover Pass. The ski area runs night skiing on many winter evenings, which lights up that part of the mountain, and the park does not stay open all night.
Is Spokane clearer than Seattle for the northern lights?
Drier, but not much clearer in midwinter. Spokane gets less than half of Seattle's precipitation because the Cascades block much of the Pacific moisture, yet December in Spokane still gets only 22% of its possible sunshine. The difference shows in late summer and autumn: Spokane averages 77% of possible sunshine in August, 72% in September and 57% in October. Both cities sit at almost the same latitude, so the difference between them is mostly weather.
Where does the Spokane Astronomical Society go to see dark skies?
Fishtrap Recreation Area, Bureau of Land Management land about 30 miles south-west of Spokane, reached from I-90 at exit 254. The society holds stargazing sessions there. The area is open year-round, but the developed parking lots and trailheads are day-use only, so there is no overnight parking in them.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Spokane?
The nights in Spokane are dark all year. The aurora is rare in Spokane: your best chances are in November, and again in March. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 13 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Spokane in summer?
Yes. The nights in Spokane 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 Spokane?
In Spokane, you usually need at least Kp 7 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 around 1.6. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Spokane, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.