Aurora Borealis in Washington
United Kingdom · 54.90°, -1.52° · geomagnetic 56.9° · needs Kp 7
Tonight's aurora forecast for Washington
23%
Peak chance of a visible display tonight, from the same model the Revon app runs. Washington needs Kp 7 to see anything at all, and tonight the forecast peaks at Kp 4.9. Short of the threshold, which is what most nights look like here.
Get the full 30-night forecast in Revon
Updated 2026-09-08 10:35 UTC
Local aurora guide for Washington
Washington is at a geomagnetic latitude of 56.9°.
Auroras are typically visible here when the planetary Kp index reaches 7.
On average, there are 2.6 nights per year with conditions suitable for aurora viewing.
The best months for aurora viewing in Washington are September, August, and November.
However, during May, June, and July, there is no full darkness, which can impact viewing conditions.
Washington has a Bortle scale rating of 6, indicating moderate light pollution.
Areas with darker skies, rated Bortle 4, are located 37 km east-south-east near Tyne and Wear.
Darker skies, rated Bortle 5, can be found 20 km east-north-east near Tyne and Wear. Notable terrain features include Whitehills (hill, 5.1 km NW), Boldon Hills (hill, 5.6 km NE), Saint Anthony’s Point (headland, 7.7 km NNW), Whitburn Bay (bay, 11.1 km ENE), and Castle Leazes (park, 11.3 km NW).
Whitehills is a hill located 5.1 km north-west of Washington.
Boldon Hills, another hill, is situated 5.6 km north-east of Washington.
Saint Anthony’s Point is a headland 7.7 km north-north-west of Washington, while Whitburn Bay is a bay 11.1 km east-north-east. Castle Leazes is a park 11.3 km north-west of Washington.
There have been 229 verified aurora reports within 300 km of Washington between 2015 and 2016.
The historical record spans from 2016 to 2026.
Notable qualifying nights include March 20, 2026 (Kp 7.0), January 20, 2026 (Kp 7.67), January 19, 2026 (Kp 8.67), November 12, 2025 (Kp 7.33), and November 11, 2025 (Kp 8.67).
Sources: Revon analysis of NOAA planetary Kp · Solar declination and hour-angle calculation · Falchi 2016 World Atlas of artificial night sky brightness · GeoNames (CC BY 4.0) · Aurorasaurus verified positive reports
Know when it is worth going outside
Revon watches the Washington forecast and pushes an alert when the odds for tonight clear your threshold — no checking, no guessing.
Nearby towns
Forecasts for places within reach of Washington.