Tonight
May 21 - May 22
- 51 °F
51 percent cloud cover - 55 °F73 percent cloud cover
- 53 °F
100 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 9:23 PM to 4:10 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at around 95%.
Aurora Forecast for Chicago, IL
Today at 4:00 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 Chicago
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Chicago, IL
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Tomorrow night
May 22 - May 23
- 61 °F100 percent cloud cover
- 58 °F100 percent cloud cover
- 56 °F
100 percent cloud cover
Saturday night
May 23 - May 24
- 58 °F82 percent cloud cover
- 56 °F
6 percent cloud cover - 56 °F
8 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 09:23 PM to 04:10 AM (6 h 47 min)
Current Moon
First Quarter
32% illumination
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Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Chicago, IL
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thursday, May 21, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 29% illumination | Friday, May 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 40% illumination | Saturday, May 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Sunday, May 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 61% illumination | |||
Monday, May 25, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 71% illumination | Tuesday, May 26, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Wednesday, May 27, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Thursday, May 28, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 93% illumination | Friday, May 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 97% illumination | Saturday, May 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 99% illumination | Sunday, May 31, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
Monday, June 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 99% illumination | Tuesday, June 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 96% illumination | Wednesday, June 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 91% illumination | Thursday, June 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, June 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 78% illumination | Saturday, June 6, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 69% illumination | Sunday, June 7, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 60% illumination |
Monday, June 8, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 49% illumination | Tuesday, June 9, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 39% illumination | Wednesday, June 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 28% illumination | Thursday, June 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 19% illumination | Friday, June 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 10% illumination | Saturday, June 13, 2026. 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 |
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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 1.3 to 2.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Chicago, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.