Aurora Borealis alert: Northern Lights may be visible across 18 US states tonight, NOAA forecasts

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast that the aurora borealis, or northern lights, could be visible across large parts of the northern United States on Wednesday night (November 12).

Nearly two dozen states may catch a glimpse of the colorful lights after a coronal mass ejection (CME) — a large burst of plasma and magnetic field from the Sun — reaches Earth around mid-day, NOAA said.

Moderate geomagnetic storm expected

NOAA has issued a G2 geomagnetic storm alert, which is classified as a moderate event on its storm scale.

On the K-index scale, which measures geomagnetic activity and auroral visibility, the agency predicts a Kp level of 6 out of 9, indicating a bright and active aurora.

Where to see the Northern Lights

Parts of at least 18 states fall within NOAA’s forecasted “view line” — the southernmost edge from where the aurora might be visible on the northern horizon.

States included in the forecasted viewing zone:

Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Although the view line predicts visibility primarily across northern states, skywatchers farther south may also get lucky. On November 11, auroras were spotted in Texas, Florida, and Colorado, beyond the expected visibility range.

Best viewing times

The aurora is typically visible just after sunset or before sunrise, with the best visibility within one to two hours of midnight, according to NOAA.

The northern lights are not visible during daylight and appear as glowing curtains of green or red light centered around Earth’s magnetic pole.

How the Northern Lights form

The aurora borealis occurs when electrically charged particles from the Sun collide with Earth’s magnetic field. These charged ions travel in the solar wind and interact with Earth’s ionosphere, about 60–80 miles above the surface, causing the gases to glow — much like how neon lights illuminate.

The phenomenon varies in intensity and movement, often appearing as shimmering curtains, waves, or streaks of color across the sky.

When Aurora activity peaks

Auroral activity tends to increase during solar maximum periods — times of heightened solar activity — and is more frequent during winter months, when the nights are longer and skies are clearer.