Northern Lights Forecast for Spokane

Yes, during strong storms on clear nights, when it has been seen from Spokane and across the Inland Northwest. Downtown lights hide the weaker nights, so drive about 15 miles north to the farm roads on Green Bluff, which sits about 500 feet above the Peone Prairie. The farms are private, so stay on the public roads.

Only partway up. Mount Spokane State Park is about 23 miles north-east of the city, but the summit road closes for the winter, and from December to March the park is a Sno-Park, so you need a Sno-Park permit rather than a Discover Pass. The ski area runs night skiing on many winter evenings, which lights up that part of the mountain, and the park does not stay open all night.

Drier, but not much clearer in midwinter. Spokane gets less than half of Seattle's precipitation because the Cascades block much of the Pacific moisture, yet December in Spokane still gets only 22% of its possible sunshine. The difference shows in late summer and autumn: Spokane averages 77% of possible sunshine in August, 72% in September and 57% in October. Both cities sit at almost the same latitude, so the difference between them is mostly weather.

Fishtrap Recreation Area, Bureau of Land Management land about 30 miles south-west of Spokane, reached from I-90 at exit 254. The society holds stargazing sessions there. The area is open year-round, but the developed parking lots and trailheads are day-use only, so there is no overnight parking in them.

In Spokane, 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.