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Just a month after the aurora borealis put on a stunning display over the continental United States, the aurora borealis will return to Canada and the northern US on Saturday and Sunday night – following a second, rare government geomagnetic storm warning – although the light show won’t be as far-reaching as last time Moon.
After a showing in Oregon last month, the aurora borealis is expected to be visible … [+]
Key facts
NOAA issued an alert on Friday, warning that the geomagnetic storm could disrupt communications again due to “moderately intense” disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field, while the lights could return.
Solar activity has been unusually busy in recent months as the sun’s 11-year solar cycle nears its expected peak in July 2025, with sunspots expected to intensify over the next year, likely triggering more geomagnetic storms.
After a flare of solar activity and NOAA warnings last month — the first in nearly 20 years — NOAA issued another alert Friday, warning that a geomagnetic storm could disrupt communications again due to “moderately intense” disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field. , and at the same time allow the lights to return.
The so-called line of sight — the southern point where scientists expect the lights to be visible — is forecast to shift south on Sunday evening, giving residents along the US-Canada border a better chance of catching the aurora depending on cloud cover.
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Where will the aurora borealis be seen tonight?
The lights, usually best seen around the Arctic Circle between September and May, will likely be visible across most of Canada Saturday night from British Columbia to northern Ontario, Quebec and Labrador, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
There will also be a small chance of seeing lights in the northern US on Saturday night, including Alaska, Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and northern Maine. The best place to see the lights on Sunday will be in Alaska, where scientists expect residents to have a good chance of visibility.
What is the best way to see the Northern Lights?
The best time to see the lights is between 10pm and 2am, when geomagnetic activity increases and the aurora is at its strongest.
The aurora borealis will be visible across Canada, Alaska and along part of the US-Canada border … [+]
What to watch out for
Clouds. Forecasters with the National Weather Service forecast cloudy skies for parts of the Pacific Northwest, northern New England and upstate New York Saturday night, with a 100 percent chance of cloudy skies over Buffalo around 11 p.m., a 72 percent chance of clouds in northern Washington at the same time time and a 77% probability in northern Maine. Aurora viewing chances improve overnight in the Pacific Northwest, with a 50% chance of sky coverage in northern Washington by 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning (65% chance at 5:00 a.m.), while cloudy skies are expected thickens. in northern New England overnight, in northern Maine at 2 a.m. it reached a 75% chance (84% chance at 5 a.m.).
Key background
The aurora dazzled stargazers in the US and Canada last month as a result of a “severe” geomagnetic storm that produced what NOAA described as an “unusual and potentially historic event.” For several nights, the lights flashed shades of purple, green, and blue over northern California, the Great Lakes, New York, New England, and down into the Carolinas and Alabama. Just days later, NOAA scientists predicted the lights could return later in May and June, after a solar flare even bigger than the one that triggered the first auroras and also threatened to disrupt satellite communications.
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