Northern Lights Forecast for Minneapolis

Yes, during a strong storm. In the strongest storms the aurora has been photographed from inside Minneapolis and St. Paul and has been visible to the eye above the Twin Cities. On ordinary active nights it shows only as a faint glow low in the north from the northern suburbs, if at all, and city lights hide it downtown.

For a weaker display, head out of the metro, for example to William O'Brien State Park, about 45 minutes north-east.

Afton State Park, about 20 miles east of St. Paul on the St. Croix River, is the closest. William O'Brien State Park near Marine on St. Croix, about 45 minutes north-east, is farther from the city glow. For an open northern horizon, Mille Lacs Lake is about 80 miles north; from its south shore you look north across 200 square miles of water. The state parks close at night unless you have a campsite or cabin.

If a storm is forecast and the sky up there is clear, it is the obvious move. Duluth is about 150 miles north on the interstate, nearly two degrees of latitude closer to the aurora, and the Lake Superior shore gives an open horizon. It sees the aurora on many more nights a year than the Twin Cities. Check the cloud forecast for both cities before you go, because they often differ.

Voyageurs National Park, east of International Falls on the Canadian border, became an International Dark Sky Park in 2020. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, reached from Ely, was certified an International Dark Sky Sanctuary the same year. Both are in the far north of the state, four to five hours from the Twin Cities, so they are trips rather than an evening drive.

In Minneapolis, 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.