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Upcoming Spectacular Aurora Display Expected in Northern U.S.

If you’re situated in the northern region of the United States and have clear skies in the evenings over the next few days, you won’t want to miss the opportunity to witness a stunning natural phenomenon.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center has alerted the public with a G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm watch set for Tuesday night. This event is expected to create spectacular auroras across an impressive stretch of 18 states. The extraordinary light display is attributed to two significant Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) that the Sun released on April 13, which are projected to collide with Earth’s magnetic field within the next one to two days.

Space Weather Physicist Tamitha Skov shared insights via a post on X, indicating that these solar storms could prove to be impactful due to their density, despite traveling at a slower pace. “Still waiting for coronagraph data to inform model runs, but impact could be late April 15 or early April 16,” Skov noted.

The aurora’s breathtaking display could be visible in as many as 18 states across the northern U.S., with optimal viewing conditions found in areas like Alaska, northeastern Montana, northern North Dakota, and northern Minnesota.

Further south, states such as Illinois, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine may have a smaller yet still promising chance of glimpsing the luminous spectacle. Due to the unpredictability of storm impacts, checking the skies is advisable regardless of your location.

For those interested in the aurora’s forecast, NOAA provides a detailed map showing the predicted visibility for Tuesday evening. Additionally, a somewhat diminished, yet still captivating, visibility is anticipated for Wednesday evening as well. You can explore the forecast map here.

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