A huge solar storm brought an aurora borealis display bright enough to see with the naked eye on May … More 10th, 2024. getty

Update, May 30, 2025: The very latest NOAA forecast has a G1 geomagnetic storm in the early hours of both Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1.

Update, May 29, 2025: The very latest NOAA forecast has 15 states in line to see aurora after a G2 geomagnetic storm was predicted overnight on Thursday, May 29 to Friday, May 30.

The Northern Lights may be visible overhead and/or in northern skies from 10 U.S. states on Thursday, May 29 through Saturday, May 31, 2025, after a spike in geomagnetic activity.

The lack of moonlight (there was a new moon on Monday) and the effect on darkness hours due to Earth’s tilt as we approach the solstice on June 21 make the U.S. currently one of the best places to see the Northern Lights.

Despite predicting only a low-level G1 geomagnetic storm this week, space weather forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration later upgraded it to a much stronger G3-rated event. “A G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm was observed at 29/0216 UTC in response to negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream influences,” read its tweet. “A G3 warning is valid until 29/0600 UTC. Stay tuned for updates.”

Forbes Why Americans Are Now In The Best Place To See The Northern Lights

Why Space Weather Is Unsettled

The dramatic events — which saw aurora as far south as Italy — are indicative of unsettled space weather, which could see more aurora in the U.S. this week.

“Active to G1 (Minor) storm levels are likely through 30 May as we transition into another negative polarity CH HSS,” states NOAA. “Unsettled to active levels are expected on 31 May.”

Update: this was later upgraded to a G2 geomagnetic storm on May 30 and a G1 geomagnetic storm on May 31 and June 1.

Negative polarity CH HSS refers to the orientation of the magnetic field and the fact that the solar wind is coming at high speed (HSS) from a coronal hole (CH), a cooler, darker region in the sun’s corona. A coronal hole — which allows the solar wind to escape more easily into space and which is very common in the present solar maximum period — has been facing Earth all week.

Negative polarity means the magnetic field lines in the solar wind point toward the sun. If the magnetic field in the solar wind points southward, a geomagnetic storm may be triggered — resulting in auroras at mid to high latitudes.

NOAA’s updated aurora viewline prediction for Thursday, May 29, 2025. NOAA

U.S. States That Could See Northern Lights

NOAA has also dropped an aurora viewline forecast that indicates that aurora may be seen from 17 U.S. states.

According to NOAA, this G1 storm may be seen in northern skies from northern Washington, northern Idaho, Montana, northeast Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. Regions closest to the border with Canada will have the highest possibility of seeing the aurora.

The potential displays of aurora borealis tonight have a predicted Kp index of 4. According to NOAA, that means “the aurora will move further from the poles, it will become brighter, and there will be more auroral activity (motion and formations). If you are in the right place, these aurora can be quite pleasing to look at.”

NASA’s solar observatory detected an X1.1 class solar flare on the sun on May 25, which caused a shortwave radio blackout over the Pacific Ocean, according to Spaceweather.com. It was followed the same day by two lesser M3.4 and M8.9 solar flares.

Viewing Tips For The Northern Lights

Here are some tips for seeing the aurora:

Check NOAA’s Aurora Dashboard and be ready to head out at a moment’s notice if conditions look favorable. Check cloud conditions.

Get as far away from city lights as possible to maximize your chances of seeing the aurora because they’re more impressive in a dark sky. Use a light pollution map or the Dark Sky Place finder to find a suitable location away from city lights.

Prioritize a dark northern horizon since that’s likely where they’ll be visible (don’t, for example, observe from south of a huge city).

Dress warmly and have a plan for how you’ll get home safely.

While you’re out, use an app like Glendale App or a website like SpaceWeatherLive.com and look at both the Kp (you’re after Kp 6 or 7, or higher) and a strong southward Bz figure, which indicates that it might connect with Earth’s magnetosphere to cause a substorm.

Be prepared to fail and be at peace with that before you go out. It may take multiple trips to finally see aurora, as displays can be unpredictable.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

Topline Multiple states across the northern United States may have a chance at seeing the northern lights Thursday night, according to a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The sky is filled with colour from the aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, at St … More Mary’s lighthouse in Whitley Bay on the North East coast of England on March 26. PA Images via Getty Images

Key Facts

The forecast for the aurora borealis Thursday night has a Kp index of four on a scale of nine, meaning the aurora will move further from the poles and become brighter with more activity, making it “quite pleasing to look at,” according to NOAA. The northern lights become visible as a result of geomagnetic activity, which leads ions to collide with atmospheric gasses from Earth, creating visible displays. The appearance of the aurora will likely drop off later in the week, though it was forecast to be visible in about 15 states Wednesday night into Thursday and hit a Kp index of 6.33 due to a minor-moderate geomagnetic storm.

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Where Will The Northern Lights Be Visible Tonight?

The northern lights are expected to be visible in Alaska and Canada Thursday night, and the viewline also covers parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. (See map below.)

Tonight’s aurora forecast. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

What’s The Best Way To See The Northern Lights?

To see the northern lights, NOAA recommends getting to an unobstructed, north-facing vantage point away from city lights. The best time to see the aurora is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time, which is when geomagnetic activity can be highest.

How Can You Photograph The Northern Lights?

If you’re trying to capture the northern lights on a smartphone camera, use night mode and lower the shutter speed to have the best chance at capturing the lights’ movement.

Key Background

The northern lights have been increasingly visible throughout the U.S. lately as the sun has achieved its “solar maximum,” which happens at the peak of its 11-year cycle. It hit the “solar maximum” in October, but scientists have said the period of strong geomagnetic activity could continue for about a year. Forecasts have been particularly strong lately, with geomagnetic storms causing Kp indices to hit 6 or higher, leading to situations in which nearly half of the states in the U.S. were in the viewline of the aurora.

Further Reading

Northern Lights Forecast: ‘Strong’ Geomagnetic Storm May Bring Aurora Borealis To These 15 States (Forbes)

Northern Lights Displays Hit A 500-Year Peak In 2024—Here’s Where You Could Catch Aurora Borealis In 2025 (Forbes)

The northern lights will be visible for a second night in some areas across the U.S. April 16.

A powerful solar storm over the weekend sent clouds of particles toward Earth, triggering the aurora borealis.

The lights were as visible as far south as Florida and Hawaii in May 2024.

Less than a year ago, the northern lights amazed Florida residents, sending colors swirling through the southern sky.

Floridians were treated to the awe-inspiring sight on May 10, 2024.

This week, the northern lights were visible farther south than normal Tuesday, April 15, and they’ll be visible again for some residents tonight, April 16.

Unfortunately, they won’t be visible as far south as they were in 2024, so Florida residents will have to rely on online sources, friends or family to see them.

Still want to head outside for a little skygazing? Go ahead. While they won’t be at their peak — that won’t happen until April 21-22 — you might be able to see the Lyrid meteor shower.

Northern lights visible tonight in some areas of US

A powerful solar storm has sent particles flowing from the sun that are interacting with Earth’s magnetosphere in ways that are triggering the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis.

Eruptions on the sun over the weekend sent clouds of the particles toward Earth, impacting the planet April 15-16.

A level 3 geomagnetic storm is likely, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, which could disrupt radio waves, some satellite operations and power grids.

The storm also means views of green and red in the sky that are more widely visible than usual.

A handful of states were able to see the northern lights Tuesday night, but they’ll be visible again Wednesday, April 16.

Will the northern lights be visible in Florida? What states will be able to see the aurora borealis?

Unfortunately, Florida is nowhere close to the “viewline” where the northern lights will be visible tonight, April 16.

In the U.S., the auroras became widely visible April 15, and should still be visible April 16, in at least parts of the these states:

Washington

Idaho

Montana

North Dakota

Minnesota

Wisconsin

A thin red “viewline” representing the southern-most locations where you might see the aurora borealis on the northern horizon extends to:

Wyoming

South Dakota

Iowa

Michigan

New York

Vermont

New Hampshire

Maine

People using long-exposure photography might capture images of the lights, even where they are not visible to the naked eye, according to AccuWeather.

When is the best time to see the northern lights?

Even though conditions are prime for more impending aurora shows, experts have long struggled to accurately forecast exactly when and where the phenomenon will ever occur. Even the best predictions can accurately be made only a few days or even hours in advance.

As a rule of thumb, if the weather is clear, the best view of the aurora borealis is usually within an hour or two of midnight, according to NOAA.

➤ Aurora dashboard helps you track the northern lights

➤ NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast

Northern lights visible as far south as Florida, Hawaii in 2024

A spectacular and rare sight was visible across Florida on May 10, 2024.

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, left many watchers in awe as pink and purple hues painted the night sky.

➤ See photos of northern lights in Florida as aurora borealis visible in night sky in 2024

“I’m truly in awe that I’m seeing the Northern Lights in FLORIDA! Just… incredible,” David Reese posted on X from Tallahassee at the time.

Reactions posted on social media ranged from “absolutely insane” to “this is amazing.”

Strong solar flares discharged from the sun caused northern lights to be visible across much of the U.S.

Have the northern lights ever been seen in Florida before?

Though rare, Florida has seen northern lights before 2024.

In 1989, the aurora borealis appeared on the First Coast was visible in a red glow tinged with pale green and white streaks, the Florida Times-Union reported.

Northern lights were visible as far as South Florida in 1981, though reports indicate they were much less impressive.

Then there was the Carrington Event of 1859 tinting the sky bright red and green which may have been the most powerful solar flare on record, according to NOAA.

Here’s why it seems northern lights have been visible more often

An increase in solar activity has more frequently fueled “space weather” that produces the right conditions for northern lights to flourish.

Regions of intense magnetic activity known as sunspots are proliferating on the solar surface and are capable of releasing intense bursts of radiation resulting in solar flares that can hurtle toward Earth at the speed of light, according to NOAA.

Some of the flares can be accompanied by coronal mass ejections, or clouds of plasma and charged particles.

Those ejections can collide with Earth’s magnetosphere to produce geomagnetic storms that unleash spectacular views of the northern lights in parts of the country where auroras are not often visible.

NASA expects conditions to continue into 2025, bringing more opportunities to catch the northern lights.

Contributing: Kim Luciani, USA Today Network-Florida