Tonight
Aug 26 - Aug 27
- 71 °F
72 percent cloud cover - 62 °F
16 percent cloud cover - 58 °F20 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 9:28 PM to 5:31 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks mostly cloudy at around 65%.
Aurora Forecast for Helena, MT
Today at 6:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:93%
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
%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 27 - Aug 28
- 66 °F55 percent cloud cover
- 61 °F14 percent cloud cover
- 58 °F
0 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Aug 28 - Aug 29
- 68 °F
87 percent cloud cover - 62 °F67 percent cloud cover
- 56 °F92 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 09:28 PM to 05:31 AM (8 h 3 min)
Current Moon
Full Moon
98% illumination
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Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Helena, MT
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, August 26, 2026. Today. 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 | Saturday, September 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Sunday, September 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 6% illumination |
Monday, September 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 12% illumination | Tuesday, September 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 20% illumination | Wednesday, September 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 28% illumination | Thursday, September 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 37% illumination | Friday, September 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 47% illumination | Saturday, September 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 56% illumination | Sunday, September 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 65% illumination |
Monday, September 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 74% illumination | Tuesday, September 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 82% 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 3 to 3.7. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Helena, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.