Aurora Borealis in Missoula
United States · 46.87°, -113.99° · geomagnetic 53.5° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Missoula
1%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Missoula needs Kp 7 to see anything at all, and tonight the forecast peaks at Kp 4.7. Short of the threshold, which is what most nights look like here.
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Updated 2026-09-08 10:36 UTC
Local aurora guide for Missoula
Missoula is located at 53.5° geomagnetic latitude. Auroras are typically visible at this latitude when the planetary geomagnetic activity reaches Kp 7.
On average, there are about 3.2 nights per year in Missoula where conditions are suitable for aurora viewing.
The historical record for aurora observations in this region spans from April 2, 2016, to March 30, 2026.
The months historically most favorable for aurora viewing in Missoula are May, September, and August.
These months align with periods of darker skies, increasing the potential for aurora sightings.
Missoula experiences a Bortle 6 sky brightness. This indicates a level of light pollution that can obscure fainter celestial objects.
Areas with significantly darker skies, such as Bortle 2 conditions, can be found approximately 14 km north near Missoula County.
Potential viewing locations include the Junction of the Hell Gate and Big Blackfoot Rivers Historical Marker to the east, Woody Mountain to the east-north-east, and Rattlesnake National Recreation Site to the north-north-east.
The Junction of the Hell Gate and Big Blackfoot Rivers Historical Marker is located 7.7 km east of Missoula.
Woody Mountain, a peak situated 9.5 km east-north-east of Missoula, offers a potential vantage point.
The Rattlesnake National Recreation Site is a park located 11.2 km north-north-east of Missoula. Blue Point, a mountain 12.8 km north-east of Missoula, and Blue Slide, a cliff 13.0 km east of Missoula, are also noted geographic features.
Historical data shows 14 verified aurora reports within 300 km of Missoula between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016.
The period from 2016 to 2026 includes several nights with geomagnetic activity levels that would typically support aurora visibility. Examples include March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), and January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67).
Other qualifying nights within this span include November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33) and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon location dataset · Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Falchi 2016 World Atlas of artificial night sky brightness · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Aurorasaurus verified positive reports
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