Tonight
Aug 15 - Aug 16
- 75 °F
99 percent cloud cover - 73 °F
99 percent cloud cover - 72 °F
60 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 8:56 PM to 4:53 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%.
Aurora Forecast for Chicago, IL
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 Chicago
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Chicago, IL
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Tomorrow night
Aug 16 - Aug 17
- 78 °F
27 percent cloud cover - 75 °F30 percent cloud cover
- 73 °F
4 percent cloud cover
Monday night
Aug 17 - Aug 18
- 72 °F9 percent cloud cover
- 70 °F9 percent cloud cover
- 69 °F51 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 08:56 PM to 04:53 AM (7 h 57 min)
Current Moon
Waxing Crescent
10% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Chicago, IL
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saturday, August 15, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Sunday, August 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 17% illumination | |||||
Monday, August 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 25% illumination | Tuesday, August 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 35% illumination | Wednesday, August 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 44% illumination | Thursday, August 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 54% illumination | Friday, August 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 63% illumination | Saturday, August 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 72% illumination | Sunday, August 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 80% illumination |
Monday, August 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Tuesday, August 25, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 93% illumination | Wednesday, August 26, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 97% illumination | Thursday, August 27, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Friday, August 28, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Saturday, August 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Sunday, August 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, August 31, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 88% illumination | Tuesday, September 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 80% illumination | Wednesday, September 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 70% illumination | Thursday, September 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 60% illumination | Friday, September 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 48% illumination | Saturday, September 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 37% illumination | Sunday, September 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 26% illumination |
Monday, September 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 17% illumination | Tuesday, September 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 9% illumination | Wednesday, September 9, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Thursday, September 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination | Friday, September 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 0% 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 to 2.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Chicago, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.