Will the northern lights be visible in Missouri? Data says there’s a chance
Aurora borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in Missouri?
It’s possible.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch for the nighttime of Tuesday, Nov. 11, and early morning Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Two coronal mass ejections may have sparked these geomagnetic storm conditions that will make it visible, according to Space.com. The first CME launched Sunday, Nov. 9, while the second erupted Monday, Nov. 10. There’s a third on the way that could hit Earth on Wednesday, Nov. 12, according to NOAA.
NOAA’s graphic shows a low probability of seeing aurora, but that a red line marked as the “view line” touches the Missouri-Iowa border, meaning it could be visible to some parts of the Show-Me State in the right conditions.
“The aurora is not visible during daylight hours,” NOAA says on its website. “The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as 1000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right.”
While Chris Bowman with the Kansas City branch of the National Weather Service is more of an enthusiast than an expert on aurora, he said from a meteorological perspective that the skies will be clear enough to where someone could see it in the northern part of Missouri.
“It would be visible to the naked eye on the northern part, but because of that you have to be outside of city lights,” Bowman said.
If you’re tempted to take a drive to the Missouri towns of Grant City, a 2 1/2 hour drive or Memphis, a 3 1/2 hour drive north of Kansas City, here are a few tips from Space.com on how to increase your chances of seeing aurora borealis:
- Find a north-facing watch point with a clear view of the horizon as far from light pollution as possible.
- Use your phone camera to scan the sky. The camera can pick up faint auroras before your eyes spot them and will give you a good idea of the direction you should look.
- Try to let your eyes adapt to the dark for at least 30 minutes. Space.com says this will help your night vision develop.
This story was originally published November 11, 2025 at 5:48 PM.
