Geomagnetic Storm Watch underway as northern US in store for a colorful light show from the Northern Lights
Cloud cover can inhibit viewing, and large sections of the Pacific Northwest are forecast to be under a decent cloud cover. Most of the Midwest is expected to be nearly cloud-free, which will enhance viewing.
What is an aurora? The northern lights explained
Dancing across the skies in vibrant ribbons of color, auroras are one of nature’s most magnificent natural phenomena.
A geomagnetic storm has the potential to produce aurora borealis over the Northern Hemisphere from Sunday evening into Monday morning, with some states along the U.S.-Canadian border having the potential to see the Northern Lights.
On Sunday afternoon, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center indicated that severe geomagnetic storms were underway, showing a level four out of five on the Geomagnetic Storm Impact scale.
According to NOAA, possible widespread power systems may experience voltage alarms, spacecraft may exhibit orbit changes and tracking problems, and radio frequencies may be disrupted.
Aurora forecast for Sunday night-Monday morning.
(NOAA)
If the night sky is clear, northern states from Oregon to New York could see the geomagnetic activity in the form of an aurora.
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The level of geomagnetic activity is also monitored by ground-based magnetometers, and the event is measured on the Kp index scale, which ranges from 0 to 9.
As of Sunday afternoon, the highest value on the Kp index was an 8, which means cities such as Seattle, Chicago and Green Bay will be able to see the Northern Lights, if skies are clear and light pollution is low.
The Estimated Planetary K Index as of Sunday evening.
(NOAA)
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Cloud cover can inhibit viewing, and large sections of the Pacific Northwest are forecast to be under a decent layer of clouds. Most of the Midwest is expected to be nearly cloud-free, enabling viewing.
If you are within the viewing zone, you'll want to be away from city lights with an unobstructed view of the northern horizon.
The best viewing is typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, and due to the moon being in a Waxing Crescent phase, the lunar body should not be a hindrance to skywatchers.
Expected U.S. cloud cover
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The late weekend event is expected to be much weaker than March’s severe geomagnetic storm that caused the Northern Lights to be seen as far south as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Nashville and Asheville, North Carolina.
The Space Weather Prediction Center identified the spectacular event as a level 4 on its 5-point scale.
What Kp index value is needed to see the Northern Lights in the U.S.
(NOAA)