Tonight
Aug 15 - Aug 16
- 68 °F
95 percent cloud cover - 64 °F
1 percent cloud cover - 60 °F1 percent cloud cover
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Northern Lights Forecast for Bismarck
Bismarck, North Dakota, United States
46°48′29.9″N ⋅ 100°47′1.3″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
No significant aurora activity is expected in Bismarck over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 10:07 PM to 5:28 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 100%.
Aurora Forecast for Bismarck, ND
Today at 1:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:98%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Bismarck
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Bismarck, ND
%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
Aug 16 - Aug 17
- 69 °F3 percent cloud cover
- 64 °F72 percent cloud cover
- 62 °F
96 percent cloud cover
Monday night
Aug 17 - Aug 18
- 70 °F99 percent cloud cover
- 66 °F
17 percent cloud cover - 64 °F79 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 10:07 PM to 05:28 AM (7 h 21 min)
Current Moon
Waxing Crescent
10% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Bismarck, ND
| 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
Northern Lights in Bismarck
Found in North Dakota, Bismarck offers unique opportunities for aurora hunters visiting United States. Situated far south at 46.8°, 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 Bismarck?
In Bismarck, you usually need at least Kp 6 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 Bismarck, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.