Tonight
May 21 - May 22
- 50 °F
8 percent cloud cover - 40 °F
25 percent cloud cover - 36 °F
77 percent cloud cover
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Northern Lights Forecast for Helena
Helena, Montana, United States
46°35′20.8″N ⋅ 112°2′20.8″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
No significant aurora activity is expected in Helena over the next 24 hours. Sky will be dark from 10:27 PM to 4:21 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks partly cloudy at around 50%.
Aurora Forecast for Helena, MT
Today at 3:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:19%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Helena
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3-Night Weather Forecast for Helena, MT
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Tomorrow night
May 22 - May 23
- 57 °F45 percent cloud cover
- 47 °F4 percent cloud cover
- 40 °F0 percent cloud cover
Saturday night
May 23 - May 24
- 63 °F30 percent cloud cover
- 52 °F22 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 10:27 PM to 04:21 AM (5 h 54 min)
Current Moon
First Quarter
32% illumination
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Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Helena, MT
| 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 |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Helena Aurora Guide
Located in the Montana region of United States, Helena is a notable destination for night sky watchers. At a latitude of 46.6°, you will need a historically massive solar event to push the lights this far south. While it takes patience and luck, catching a display from here is an unforgettable experience.
FAQ
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Helena?
In Helena, 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.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 0.9 to 2.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Helena, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.