Overview
- NOAA says a coronal mass ejection that left the Sun on July 30, combined with earlier late‑July eruptions, is likely to trigger G1–G2 geomagnetic activity with a peak Kp near 5.67 early on Sunday, Aug. 2.
- The forecast projects widespread auroras across most of Canada and opportunistic visibility from northern U.S. states near the Canadian border, including Washington, Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Michigan and Maine.
- Observers face limited viewing windows because summer nights are short, a bright near‑full moon will wash out faint displays, and local cloud cover or light pollution can hide aurora that cameras may still record.
- Timing and strength remain uncertain because the north‑south orientation of the interplanetary magnetic field (Bz) and whether CMEs give a glancing or direct hit will determine how far south the auroral oval moves.
- NOAA recommends checking its 30‑minute aurora forecast or dedicated apps, looking north from dark, high vantage points between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., and using phone night mode or long exposures to detect faint activity.