Unlikely
Best chance in Colorado: Fort Collins
Free push alerts built on NOAA space weather data, plus the 72-hour forecast, cloud cover and darkness window for Fort Collins.
Northern lights in Colorado are rare: they need a geomagnetic storm of Kp 8 or more to reach this far south. AuroraMe tracks 4 locations across Colorado; the lowest threshold, Kp 8, is at Fort Collins.
Cities Covered
4
Monitoring locations across Colorado
Magnetic Latitude Range
46.5°–48.3° MLAT
Prime aurora viewing latitudes
Required Kp Index
Kp 8.0–9.0
Minimum activity for visibility
Kp Requirements by Location
Fort Collins
48.3° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 8.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Boulder
47.7° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 9.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Denver
47.4° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 9.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Colorado Springs
46.5° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 9.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Aurora Status by City
Fort Collins
Aurora reaches Fort Collins during strong storms at 48.3° magnetic latitude. Monitor for KP 7+ events that push the auroral oval southward.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Boulder
Aurora reaches Boulder during strong storms at 47.7° magnetic latitude. Monitor for KP 7+ events that push the auroral oval southward.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Denver
Aurora reaches Denver during strong storms at 47.4° magnetic latitude. Monitor for KP 7+ events that push the auroral oval southward.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Colorado Springs
Aurora reaches Colorado Springs during strong storms at 46.5° magnetic latitude. Monitor for KP 8+ events that push the auroral oval southward.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Best Viewing Season in Colorado
In a typical year no location we track in Colorado records a single clear night with Kp at its threshold. Only an extreme geomagnetic storm brings aurora this far south. Kp last reached the local threshold on 2025-11-12. Figures below are for Fort Collins, the best-placed of the 4 locations we track in Colorado. They describe a typical year built from the 1996-2026 planetary Kp record and the 2001-2020 cloud normal — not a forecast. Each city page shows tonight's live cloud, moon and darkness instead.
Geographic Advantages
Magnetic Latitude 46.5°–48.3° MLAT
Cities Covered 4 locations
Winter Darkness 11.4 h in December
Dark Sky Sites 0 Bortle 1-3
What It Would Take
Clear Nights a Year Under 1 a year
Kp Needed Kp 8-9
Last Kp Threshold 2025-11-12
Oval Position (model) 18.6° above the northern horizon
Track with AuroraMe
Coverage All 4 cities
Advance Notice 30 minutes
Weather Integration Cloud cover
Predictions Best viewing times
That oval line is a model estimate of where the aurora sits at extreme Kp, not a measurement — the threshold date above comes from the Kp record itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the northern lights in Colorado?
No — not in a typical year. Colorado averages under one clear night with the aurora in reach, and the planetary index has to reach Kp 8+ for it to be visible at all, which last happened on 2025-11-12. Only an extreme geomagnetic storm brings the aurora this far south, so this is a watch-the-alerts situation rather than a month to plan around.
Where are the darkest skies in Colorado?
Check our city pages for specific dark sky recommendations near each location.
