(NEXSTAR) — As if Thanksgiving and Black Friday couldn’t be exciting enough, it appears some solar activity could bring the northern lights to part of the U.S. to round out the holiday week.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a geomagnetic storm watch for the next two days due to a filament eruption spotted on the Sun late Monday.
According to the SWPC, the eruption sparked a coronal mass ejection, or CME, that is expected to affect Earth, prompting the storm warnings. For Thursday, geomagnetic storming is forecasted to reach G1 strength (on a five-point scale) while Friday could see G2, or moderate, storming.
Current forecasting from the SWPC shows the strongest conditions could come between Thursday afternoon and into Friday morning, boding well for our chances of seeing the northern lights on the night of Thanksgiving.
The SWPC only produces view line forecasts, like the one seen below, for the current and next day. Tonight’s forecast gives only Canada and Alaska a low likelihood of seeing the aurora, though some in portions of Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula may still catch a glimpse.
The forecast is slightly more promising for Thursday night, of course. Those within the red region — again, primarily Canada and Alaska — have the highest likelihood of seeing the northern lights.
Those in the northernmost states also have a chance at catching the aurora. The best viewing, according to the current forecasting, appears to be in northern portions of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
However, those near and north of the red view line seen on the forecast below may also be able to see the celestial show on their northern horizon.
That includes parts of Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
This forecast could, however, change as the day goes on, depending on the activity in our atmosphere. If conditions strengthen, the aurora could appear even further south. If they weaken, fewer states may have a chance to see them.
You can check the SWPC’s website for the latest forecasting.
If you’re in the shaded areas above, but can’t see the northern lights with your naked eye when you step outside, you may instead want to use your phone. Our smartphones are better able to see some of the faint colors that may appear with the northern lights, giving you a chance to glimpse the aurora.
