Try our northern lights app, Aurora Now, to stay updated on aurora chances in Spokane and around the world. iOS & Android
Spokane, located in eastern Washington, offers a unique opportunity to witness the mesmerizing beauty of the northern lights. While Spokane is not as prime a location as some northern countries like Norway or Iceland, it still provides occasional chances to see this natural phenomenon.
The likelihood of seeing the northern lights in Spokane is moderate. The city occasionally experiences geomagnetic storms that can make the aurora borealis visible, especially during periods of high solar activity. However, these occurrences are not frequent, and the lights may not be as vivid as in higher-latitude regions.
To increase your chances of spotting the northern lights in Spokane, head away from city lights to darker areas with unobstructed northern horizons. The best times to see the aurora borealis are during the fall and spring equinoxes when geomagnetic activity is typically stronger.
While seeing the northern lights in Spokane is not guaranteed, keeping an eye on space weather forecasts and being prepared to venture out to optimal viewing spots can enhance your chances of witnessing this breathtaking natural light show.
The current aurora chance for Spokane is None. That rating is useful, but it works best when you combine it with darkness, weather, and the fact that some cities simply need stronger geomagnetic activity than others.
A none or near-none chance in Spokane usually means tonight is not a strong aurora setup for this location. It is still useful context, because you can compare later updates or look at cities farther north for better odds.
Spokane is in a middle-latitude range where aurora viewing usually depends on stronger geomagnetic activity. Forecasts can still matter here, but weaker nights are more likely to stay too far north or too faint.
Spokane is smaller than the biggest metro areas, but darkness still matters. Even when forecast activity is decent, clearer and darker skies outside the brightest built-up areas will usually improve your odds.
Use these pages to compare Spokane with other forecast locations, understand why visibility changes, and plan the next place to watch.
Learn
Read these guides when the Spokane forecast looks interesting but you still need help judging darkness, season, or viewing conditions.
The KP index is one of the most common numbers in aurora forecasts, but it works best as a rough guide, not a promise. Here is what it means and how casual northern lights watchers should use it.
The northern lights still happen in summer, but long daylight, bright twilight, and short nights make them much harder to see across the U.S. and Canada.
The northern lights have been unusually active because Solar Cycle 25 is in its maximum phase, with high sunspot activity leading to more solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and stronger geomagnetic storms.