


Autumn (September to November) – As soon as the autumnal equinox has passed, it’s ‘aurora season’ across the northern hemisphere.Generally speaking though, here’s the breakdown on when you’re most likely to see the northern lights in the USA. While Alaska has huge swings in both temperature and daylight, these aren’t quite as obvious in contiguous states. Seasonality varies widely across the United States – even in the northern states we’re focusing on now. This post was originally published in October 2019, and was updated most recently in September 2022 for the coming winter. If you don’t see your state on the list, that means you’re too far south! You’ll need to travel further north, so start planning now. Finally, we’ll end with a list of the best destinations to see the northern lights in the USA for every state where it’s possible. We’ll then provide tips on when you might see the northern lights throughout the year. In this post, we’ll share how you can see them too.įirst, we’ll break down the basics of the aurora phenomenon. These explanations show that the northern lights have long been visible in the U.S. On the other hand, the Makah Indians of Washington believed the lights were fires boiling a pot of whale blubber. For example, the Mandan tribe of North Dakota thought the northern lights were the fires of great medicine men. Native peoples across the northern part of what is now the United States had myths and legends to explain the aurora. You just have to plan ahead to get to an ideal viewing spot. and want to see the northern lights in the USA, it’s totally possible. Did you see the news? The aurora will be visible across the northern parts of the globe! If you’re living in the northern part of the U.S.
