Tonight
Jul 9 - Jul 10
- 73 °F
31 percent cloud cover - 67 °F
0 percent cloud cover - 65 °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 11:07 PM to 4:29 AM local time. Cloud cover around that time looks partly cloudy at around 50%.
Aurora Forecast for Bismarck, ND
Today at 1:00 PM
No activity
Cloud Cover:82%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Bismarck
| Local time | Aurora activity |
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| No activity | |
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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
Jul 10 - Jul 11
- 80 °F
0 percent cloud cover - 72 °F3 percent cloud cover
- 70 °F0 percent cloud cover
Saturday night
Jul 11 - Jul 12
- 82 °F0 percent cloud cover
- 78 °F6 percent cloud cover
- 78 °F0 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 11:07 PM to 04:29 AM (5 h 22 min)
Current Moon
Waning Crescent
30% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Bismarck, ND
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Thursday, July 9, 2026. Today. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Friday, July 10, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 21% illumination | Saturday, July 11, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 12% illumination | Sunday, July 12, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning crescent, 6% illumination | |||
Monday, July 13, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination | Tuesday, July 14, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Wednesday, July 15, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Thursday, July 16, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 6% illumination | Friday, July 17, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 13% illumination | Saturday, July 18, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 21% illumination | Sunday, July 19, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 31% illumination |
Monday, July 20, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, July 21, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 51% illumination | Wednesday, July 22, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, July 23, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 69% illumination | Friday, July 24, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 78% illumination | Saturday, July 25, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 85% illumination | Sunday, July 26, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 91% illumination |
Monday, July 27, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 96% illumination | Tuesday, July 28, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 99% illumination | Wednesday, July 29, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination | Thursday, July 30, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 99% illumination | Friday, July 31, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Full moon, 97% illumination | Saturday, August 1, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Sunday, August 2, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination |
Monday, August 3, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 77% illumination | Tuesday, August 4, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 67% illumination | Wednesday, August 5, 2026. No aurora activity. Aurora score 0 out of 10. Last quarter, 57% 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 2.6 to 3.8. That is below the usual Kp index threshold for Bismarck, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.