A geomagnetic storm is expected to set skies aglow in the northern part of the United States on Sunday night into early Monday morning, with the northern lights potentially visible as far south as Alabama to Northern California, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
The geometric storm reached severe strength early Sunday morning. Though it was not expected to be as intense as the one in May 2024 that flooded skies around the world with light, Shawn Dahl, service coordinator for the Space Weather Prediction Center, said Sunday will be a great night to view the lights where skies are clear.
“Monday night would be another night to look out, especially in the more northern locations,” Mr. Dahl said. “But for those who are eager to see the aurora, where they usually don’t get to see it, the best chance would be Sunday night.”
The lights are expected to be most vivid in the northernmost states, such as Michigan and Washington State. They may also be visible on the horizon in the middle latitudes, from Oregon and Northern California across the country into the Mid-Atlantic, and down into the South.
Places with the best potential for clear skies on Sunday night include much of the Pacific Northwest, particularly earlier in the night, as well as a good chunk of Northern California.
The central Plains into the Ohio Valley, across most of the Midwest and also the Mid-Atlantic could provide good viewing opportunities.
New York City “isn’t looking great” as a place to view from, said Peter Mullinax, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center, who noted that the Northeast is expected to be overcast.
People should check their local forecasts on Sunday for the most up-to-date conditions.
To view the aurora borealis, go to a dark location with clear skies.
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, are streaks of colorful light that paint the nighttime sky.
They most commonly appear in the skies over locations closer to the North Pole, and people travel to Iceland and Greenland to see them.
They occur when eruptions on the sun’s surface, known as coronal mass ejections, emit material that triggers geomagnetic storms when they interact with Earth’s magnetic field.
An explosion of material from the sun was heading toward Earth on Sunday, triggering the geomagnetic storm.
These storms are measured on a scale from minor (G1) to extreme (G5). The storm reached G4 conditions as of Sunday morning. During stronger storms, the northern lights can be visible in latitudes that are lower than usual.
The aurora can be viewed when it is dark outside, with 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. often being the optimal time, according to NOAA.
It’s best to find a location outside city limits with clear skies and minimal light pollution.
While the aurora may appear in the skies overhead in the northernmost states, your chances of seeing something will be higher if you find a location where you have an unobstructed view to the north.
“As soon as it gets dark enough, people should be on the lookout to the north, outside of city lights,” Mr. Dahl said.
A full moon would diminish the colors from the aurora, but Mr. Dahl said, “The moon is very young, so that’s not going to be a problem.”
If you can’t see the aurora with the naked eye, you may be able to capture it with the camera of your mobile phone.
You can track the arrival of the northern lights on the website of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
Amy Graff is a Times reporter covering weather, wildfires and earthquakes.
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