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The northern lights have a moderate chance of appearing in parts of the Upper Midwest, Great Plains and Alaska on Sunday night into Monday morning—but they could appear even brighter the next night as geomagnetic storms increase the likelihood of aurora formation.
Minor geomagnetic storms could cause the lights to appear in the northern U.S.
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Key Facts
Forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predict a Kp index of three out of nine, meaning the aurora will move further from the poles and appear brighter with more motions and formations.
Minor geomagnetic storms are driving the Kp index higher, NOAA said, with the Kp index briefly reaching as high as six in the last 24 hours.
Which States Could See The Aurora?
In the Midwest, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula could all see aurora formation Sunday night, according to NOAA’s forecast. Most of North Dakota, Alaska and a large portion of Montana could also see the lights, while small slivers of extreme northern Idaho and northeastern Washington are also within the view line.
What Is Causing The Geomagnetic Storms?
Forecasters believe the influence of coronal hole high speed streams are causing more geomagnetic storms. Coronal holes are “cooler, less dense” regions of the Sun, according to NOAA, that have unipolar magnetic fields. Solar winds escape from these regions and travel in fast streams. When they interact with the Earth’s magnetosphere, they can create visual phenomenon like the northern lights or cause geomagnetic storms.
What’s The Best Time To View The Northern Lights?
Within two hours of midnight, according to NOAA. The aurora is most active between 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., forecasters say, but could still appear in the evening and morning hours outside that four-hour window. For the best chance to catch a glimpse of the northern lights, viewers should move away from cities or other sources of light pollution and move closer to the Earth’s magnetic north pole.
What To Watch For
Tomorrow night’s expected Kp index is four, meaning there is a high likelihood the lights will appear above northern Alaska and large portions of Canada.
