Can you see the aurora borealis from Kelowna, British Columbia?

Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Kelowna, British Columbia sits at about 55.3° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 3, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 5, when displays can reach high into the sky rather than staying low. Kp is a planetary three-hour index: it tells you how far the auroral oval reaches, not exactly where the aurora will be in your sky at a given moment.

What Kp index is needed to see the aurora in Kelowna?

About Kp 3 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 5 before the oval expands over you and displays reach high into the sky. Kp is a planetary index, so the number you need depends on your geomagnetic latitude rather than your position on a map — and it describes how far the oval reaches, not where the arc will be at a given moment.

When is the best time to look for the aurora in Kelowna?

Aurora is most active around magnetic midnight, roughly 22:00–02:00 local time. You also need a properly dark sky, which is not the same as "after sunset". Tonight in Kelowna the sky is dark enough from about 18:32 until 06:54. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.

How often does aurora come within reach of Kelowna?

Kp reached 3 or more during the night hours in Kelowna on 139 of the last 364 nights, which is about the level at which aurora comes into range here. That counts geomagnetic activity only: cloud, moonlight and summer daylight decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.

Northern lights in Kelowna tonight

Can you see the northern lights in Kelowna? Yes, often. Kelowna needs about Kp 3 on the 0 to 9 scale of solar activity for a glow low in the northern sky, and activity reached that on 139 of the last 364 nights.

Illustration: a quiet, cloudy night with no aurora — Illustration of tonight's likely sky

Aurora is unlikely tonight

NOAA expects tonight's Kp to peak around 1.3. Aurora here usually needs about Kp 3, so tonight is not the night.

As of 06:04 Kelowna time. Updated every 15 minutes.

Tonight in Kelowna

Friday 13 November

Cloud and darkness, 18:00 to 06:00Local time · Open-Meteo

100%

18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00

Cloud coverDark enough, 18:32 to 06:54

ActivityToo quietKp 1.3

Kp 0needs 39

Kelowna usually needs about Kp 3. Kp 1.3 is NOAA's forecast peak for tonight's dark hours here. Latest reading Kp 1.0 (09:00–12:00 UTC).

Kp is a 0 to 9 scale of how stirred up Earth's magnetic field is. The higher it goes, the further from the poles aurora reaches. More about Kp

CloudsNo clear spell100%

Cloud over every dark hour, with no clear spell in the forecast. Even a strong display will be hidden. A clearer spot nearby may do better. Right now it's 100%.

The number is the average over tonight's dark hours; the verdict is judged hour by hour, so one clear evening does not hide an overcast midnight. Even a strong aurora is invisible through solid cloud.

DarknessDark enough18:32–06:54

Dark until 06:54. Aurora is usually best around midnight.

Dark enough means the sun is well below the horizon, which is later than sunset. At high latitudes in summer it never gets there.

How this is worked out

Aurora usually becomes visible from here around Kp 3, and tonight is below that. A strong substorm can bring it lower — treat this as a guide, not a cutoff.

Aurora appears in a ring around Earth's magnetic pole. The higher the Kp, the wider the ring grows. Inside it, aurora can show anywhere in the sky; outside it, you would see it low toward the north, if at all.

A guide, not a guarantee: aurora can beat the forecast or fall short of it, so don't plan a trip on this alone.

Aurora forecast for the next nights

NOAA does not expect Kp to reach 3, the level Kelowna needs, in the next 2 nights.

NightPeak KpOutlook

Tomorrow nightFri 13 Nov1.7Unlikely
Saturday nightSat 14 Nov1.3Unlikely

Hour by hour

Each bar is three hours of NOAA's Kp forecast, in Kelowna time. NOAA last updated it Fri 13 Nov, 06:03.

Needed here · Kp 3

FriSatSun

Night, reaches the level Night, below it Daylight here

Show as a table

Day	From	Kp	Sky here
Fri 13	05:00	1.3	Daylight
Fri 13	08:00	1.3	Daylight
Fri 13	11:00	1.7	Daylight
Fri 13	14:00	1.7	Daylight
Fri 13	17:00	1.7	Daylight
Fri 13	20:00	1.7	Night
Fri 13	23:00	1.3	Night
Sat 14	02:00	1.3	Night
Sat 14	05:00	1.3	Daylight
Sat 14	08:00	1.3	Daylight
Sat 14	11:00	1.7	Daylight
Sat 14	14:00	1.3	Daylight
Sat 14	17:00	1.7	Daylight
Sat 14	20:00	1.3	Night
Sat 14	23:00	1.3	Night
Sun 15	02:00	1.3	Night
Sun 15	05:00	1.3	Daylight
Sun 15	08:00	1.3	Daylight
Sun 15	11:00	1.7	Daylight
Sun 15	14:00	1.7	Daylight
Sun 15	17:00	3.3	Daylight

Email me when the aurora is likely in Kelowna

One email when activity is forecast to climb high enough for the aurora in Kelowna. Nothing else.

Where to watch near Kelowna

Northern lights do reach the Okanagan Valley, but they are rare and usually only during strong solar storms. Even then the glow is often faint to the naked eye and shows up better on a phone or camera. Clear skies and getting away from the city's streetlights matter most.

Okanagan Observatory (Big White Road)Local astronomy club's dark hilltop site in the forest east of the city45 km

The Okanagan Observatory holds free public stargazing on Friday nights from spring to fall; check its website before driving up.

More about the aurora in Kelowna

Best time of year

Hours of real darkness, month by month.

The best months in Kelowna are September to April, with about 13 hours of real darkness a night.

JFMAMJJASOND

What is Kp?

The 0 to 9 number behind every aurora forecast.

What is Kp? A number from 0 to 9 for how stormy space weather is. Most nights are 1 to 3. At 5 or more it's a storm, and the northern lights spread much further south. More about Kp

By the numbers

Needs about Kp 3. High in the sky from Kp 5.

Kp needed here2–4: Typically about Kp 3 for a glow low on the northern horizon. It depends on distance from the magnetic pole, which is why two cities on the same latitude can need different numbers.
High in the sky fromKp 5: Below this, aurora stays low toward the north. Above it, the ring expands over you and it can appear anywhere overhead.
Magnetic latitude55.3°: Kelowna is at 49.9° on the map, but the aurora ring is centred on the magnetic pole, so for aurora it behaves like a 55.3° location.

How often it happens

Activity was high enough on 139 of the last 364 nights.

139of the last 364 nights

Kp reached 3 or more during the night hours in Kelowna on 139 of the last 364 nights, about the level at which aurora comes into range here. The strongest night was January 19, 2026, when Kp reached 7.7. This counts activity, not sightings: cloud, moonlight and light summer nights decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.

NNovDDecJJanFFebMMarAAprMMayJJunJJulAAugSSepOOctNNov

Nights per month on which Kp reached the level during the night hours.

Show as a table

Month	Nights
Nov	9 of 18
Dec	15 of 31
Jan	19 of 31
Feb	14 of 28
Mar	15 of 31
Apr	11 of 30
May	5 of 31
Jun	9 of 30
Jul	10 of 31
Aug	7 of 31
Sep	6 of 30
Oct	14 of 31
Nov	5 of 11

Tips for seeing it

Where to look, when, and what the forecast can't tell you.

Look north. Aurora starts to clear the northern horizon at around Kp 3 and can reach high overhead from about Kp 5.
Get away from street lights, with a clear view north.
Go out around 22:00 to 02:00, when aurora is usually most active.
Give your eyes twenty minutes to adjust. A phone camera picks up colour long before your eyes do.
Kp covers the whole planet in three-hour blocks, so it can't say where aurora is this minute. NOAA's live aurora map shows the next half hour.

Common questions

Can you see it from here, what Kp you need, and when to look.

Can you see the aurora borealis from Kelowna, British Columbia?: Yes, during strong enough geomagnetic activity. Kelowna, British Columbia sits at about 55.3° geomagnetic latitude, so aurora becomes visible low on the northern horizon at around Kp 3, and the oval expands over it at around Kp 5, when displays can reach high into the sky rather than staying low. Kp is a planetary three-hour index: it tells you how far the auroral oval reaches, not exactly where the aurora will be in your sky at a given moment.
What Kp index is needed to see the aurora in Kelowna?: About Kp 3 for a display low on the horizon, and about Kp 5 before the oval expands over you and displays reach high into the sky. Kp is a planetary index, so the number you need depends on your geomagnetic latitude rather than your position on a map — and it describes how far the oval reaches, not where the arc will be at a given moment.
When is the best time to look for the aurora in Kelowna?: Aurora is most active around magnetic midnight, roughly 22:00–02:00 local time. You also need a properly dark sky, which is not the same as "after sunset". Tonight in Kelowna the sky is dark enough from about 18:32 until 06:54. Clear skies matter as much as the Kp number.
How often does aurora come within reach of Kelowna?: Kp reached 3 or more during the night hours in Kelowna on 139 of the last 364 nights, which is about the level at which aurora comes into range here. That counts geomagnetic activity only: cloud, moonlight and summer daylight decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.

Nearby places

Northern lights in Canada Northern lights in British Columbia All places Live aurora map 3-day forecast

Kp index and forecast from NOAA SWPC. Cloud cover and sun times from Open-Meteo. Kp history from GFZ Potsdam (CC BY 4.0). Magnetic latitude is AACGM-v2, epoch 2026.

Day

From

Sky here

Fri 13