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3w ago

NOAA Forecasts G2 Geomagnetic Storm Friday Night With Aurora Possible In Up To 20 States

Actual visibility hinges on real-time solar wind conditions, especially a sustained southward Bz.

The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, were spotted over Prosperous Lake near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, on March 13, 2026.
Northern lights glimmer above the Columbia River Gorge from Chanticleer Point Lookout early on May 11, 2024, in Latourell, Oregon.
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solar storm

Overview

  • NOAA expects a moderate G2 geomagnetic storm late Friday into early Saturday that could push the northern lights into roughly 18 to 20 U.S. states.
  • Best odds include Alaska and northern parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine, with possible low-horizon glows in Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire.
  • Peak viewing typically falls between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, and the new moon provides darker skies for spotting and photographing faint glows.
  • The setup comes from a corotating interaction region that precedes a negative-polarity high-speed solar wind stream, a pattern that can intensify geomagnetic activity.
  • Because auroral reach depends on the interplanetary magnetic field’s Bz turning and staying southward, forecasters urge watchers to track NOAA’s 30-minute aurora map and live solar-wind readings in alert apps.