Is there a Northern Lights forecast? Yes! There’s an App for That

“We’re already getting inundated with viewer photos of the Northern Lights,” one of the local meteorologists said during the 10 p.m. Friday news. “Look at all these sightings. Keep those pics coming.”

Wait. What? We were really getting a chance to see the aurora borealis in Middle Tennessee?

Clearly, from the photos, we were, and I noticed some of the locations were right where I lived. I rushed outside but saw nothing. I knew that sometimes it wasn’t as visible with the naked eye as through a camera lens. (Although, the meteorologist had said people were physically seeing it, no cameras required.)

Still, maybe there was too much light around me. I pointed my phone to the sky and alternated between snapping pictures and taking videos.

Nada. Nothing. Zilch. Except a huge hole of disappointment in my heart. (It’s such a bucket list kind of thing to see them that I’m saving up for a trip to someplace it’ll hopefully finally happen.)

I stayed out for a little while longer before I reluctantly headed back inside. Not for the first time, I wondered if there was a Northern Lights forecast. Or, even better, something to alert you when one was happening, like on our last Alaskan cruise.

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Travel Tip:

If you’re ever on an Alaskan cruise, contact Guest Services. They’ll add your name to a list that will call your stateroom if the bridge spots the Northern Lights. (At least Holland American offered that. I don’t know if all cruise lines do.)

But be prepared, the call could come in the very wee hours. (No call ever came for us because the night with the best viewing chance ended up being cloudy.)

Also, this doesn’t apply to Alaskan cruises in the summer months when the sun never sets.

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Anyway, the next morning I woke up to texts from friends with pictures from their sightings. I commented to one of them how bummed I was to miss it. She asked if I had the aurora app. It alerted her, and that’s how she knew when it was visible in her Colorado skies.

I immediately went to install that and noticed there were a couple. I also found some sites online with forecasts. Because to borrow from Scarlett O’Hara, “As God is my witness, I’ll never miss the Northern Lights again.”

If you feel the same, here’s how to up your chances of being in the know.

Where to Find Northern Lights Forecasts

Online

Aurora Alerts: https://aurora-alerts.com – Website includes links to download in the App Store or on Google Play.

Aurora Forecast: https://auroraforecast.com

Aurora Hunter Northern Lights Forecast: https://www.aurorahunter.com/northern-lights-forecast.html

SpaceWeatherLive.com Aurora Forecast: https://www.spaceweatherlive.com/en/auroral-activity/aurora-forecast.html

Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Aurora 30-Minute Forecast: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-30-minute-forecast

SWPC/NOAA Aurora Viewline for Tonight and Tomorrow Night (Experimental): https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental

Apps

Because these apps are so similarly named, I included their ratings info to help distinguish them.

Aurora Forecast. – 4.5k ratings, 4.6 stars

Aurora Forecast & Alerts – 2k ratings, 4.6 stars

My Aurora Forecast – 34k ratings, 4.7 stars. (This is the one I downloaded.)

Check-In

Did you see the Northern Lights over Mother’s Day weekend where you live?