Auroras Tonight: Maps Show Swathes of US to Be Bathed in Northern Lights

A severe geomagnetic storm is heading right for us, bringing with it the chance of auroras across the United States tonight and tomorrow.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued a “severe” (G4) geomagnetic storm watch yesterday after a coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the sun’s surface.
Depending on the size and shape of the storm, the northern lights will be visible across the northern half of the country, and possibly as far south as Alabama and northern California.
“The sun spot where this eruption came from was really pointing straight at us in the so-called ‘strike zone’,” Peter Gallagher, head of astronomy and astrophysics and director of the Dunsink Observatory at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, told Newsweek.
Gallagher explained that predicting the storm’s exact arrival time is difficult, but that the best models expect it to reach Earth at around midday ET, a time corroborated by the NOAA in its briefing.
The storm is currently expected to reach G4 strength. “Like hurricanes, geomagnetic storms have scales; a G5 is extreme, while a G1 is a minor storm. So this one is a G4, which makes it severe,” Gallagher said. “You’re going to see auroras at mid latitudes […] from New York, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C.—they should all see it. I think the odds are pretty good of a strong auroral display tonight.”
NOAA experts explained that even where the northern lights aren’t visible with the naked eye, stargazers right across the U.S. will be able to capture them with phone cameras and more specialized equipment.
NOAA said this storm is the fastest of the current solar cycle, racing toward Earth at over 2.5 million miles per hour. As the Sun nears peak activity in its 11-year cycle, more storms and auroras are expected through 2025.
Much of the exact nature of the storm remains a mystery until it reaches NOAA satellites around a million miles from Earth, which can categorize it in more depth.
While the northern lights provide a unique spectacle for the general public, a storm of this strength can cause severe issues for power infrastructure and communication networks.
“Detrimental impacts to some of our critical infrastructure technology are possible,” NOAA said in its storm watch alert.
“Of particular concern are communication networks being used by emergency responders dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton,” Gallagher said. “I very much hope that none of their systems are affected by this, and there have been cases in the past where first responders and their their radio communication systems have been affected by solar storms.”
The advice is to head outside tonight and wrap up warm. Look north, and you should get a good view of the show.
“Bring a flask of tea,” Gallagher advised.
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