Aurora tonight? Solar storm bring sky show potential

The weather in the Gulf of Mexico isn’t the only thing in overdrive right now. The sun has been extremely active and aurora sightings are likely tonight and early Thursday.

A coronal mass ejection occurred Tuesday night on the sun. This energetic flare is heading towards the Earth and is approaching our planet today. The U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center is predicting a G4 severe geomagnetic storm. In addition to auroras, it can produce issues with power systems, affect radio signals and cause electric currents on satellites.

This will likely produce a spectacular aurora show that will possibly be visible across the Mountain West, central Plains, Midwest, and northeastern U.S., tonight and early Friday. It could be visible as far south as the Ohio River Valley and the highly populated I-95 corridor.

The WeatherRadar shows most places in the possible aurora zone will have a clear sky and low humidity. These will be great conditions for viewing. However, a weak cold front moving across the northern plains and Upper Midwest could create some viewing headaches, but there will be a few cloud breaks.

The best way to view the aurora is by finding a spot far from city lights that has a great view of the northern sky. The best viewing time for the darkest sky is between midnight and 2 a.m. local time. Bring a blanket and coat to stay warm as temperatures drop into the 30s and 40s in more rural locations.

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