Tonight
Jun 13 - Jun 14
- 73 °F
99 percent cloud cover - 69 °F99 percent cloud cover
- 67 °F
96 percent cloud cover
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Northern Lights Forecast for Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
41°52′41.2″N ⋅ 87°37′47.3″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
No significant aurora activity is expected in Chicago over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 9:44 PM to 3:56 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks clear skies at around 0%.
Aurora Forecast for Chicago, IL
Today at 10:00 AM
No activity
Cloud Cover:18%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Chicago
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| No activity | |
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Chicago, IL
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Tomorrow night
Jun 14 - Jun 15
- 63 °F
2 percent cloud cover - 59 °F0 percent cloud cover
- 57 °F
70 percent cloud cover
Monday night
Jun 15 - Jun 16
- 71 °F56 percent cloud cover
- 62 °F2 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 09:44 PM to 03:56 AM (6 h 12 min)
Current Moon
Waning Crescent
4% illumination
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Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Chicago, IL
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, June 13, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 4% illumination | Sunday, June 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination | |||||
Monday, June 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, June 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Wednesday, June 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 8% illumination | Thursday, June 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Friday, June 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 25% illumination | Saturday, June 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 35% illumination | Sunday, June 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 46% illumination |
Monday, June 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 56% illumination | Tuesday, June 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 66% illumination | Wednesday, June 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 75% illumination | Thursday, June 25, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 83% illumination | Friday, June 26, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 89% illumination | Saturday, June 27, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination | Sunday, June 28, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination |
Monday, June 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Tuesday, June 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Wednesday, July 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Thursday, July 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 94% illumination | Friday, July 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 89% illumination | Saturday, July 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 82% illumination | Sunday, July 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 74% illumination |
Monday, July 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 64% illumination | Tuesday, July 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | Wednesday, July 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Thursday, July 9, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Friday, July 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 21% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Aurora Borealis in Chicago, United States
Found in Illinois, Chicago offers unique opportunities for aurora hunters visiting United States. Situated far south at 41.9°, the auroral oval rarely reaches this area. Keep a close eye on space weather forecasts and be ready to travel to darker skies if a severe storm hits.
FAQ
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Chicago?
In Chicago, you usually need at least Kp 8 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 2.4 to 5.1. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Chicago, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.