Northern Lights Forecast to Illuminate Northern U.S. States This Weekend

The northern lights are coming south this weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is forecasting aurora borealis visible across a swath of the northern United States on Saturday night, with the phenomenon expected to persist through Monday. The culprit is solar radiation—energy streaming from the sun that will interact with Earth's magnetic field and upper atmosphere, painting the sky in greens and reds for anyone positioned to see it.

The visibility zone stretches across parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, and Montana. A viewing line drawn by NOAA marks the southern boundary of where the aurora might appear; areas north of that line have the best odds. The forecast calls for a Kp index of three on a nine-point scale, which means the lights will reach further south than they typically do and will be, in NOAA's assessment, "quite pleasing to look at" for observers in favorable locations. Sunday and Monday carry similar forecasts, with a maximum Kp index of three predicted for either day.

The same solar radiation that will light up the sky carries practical consequences. Radio frequencies face a slight chance of disruption through Monday, and there is potential for stronger radiation to affect power grids. Over the past two days, some radio blackouts have already been observed. The disruptions remain in the realm of possibility rather than certainty, but they underscore that this is not merely a visual event—it is a geophysical one with infrastructure implications.

For those positioned to witness it, timing matters. The northern lights peak in activity between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time. NOAA recommends finding a high vantage point away from city lights and light pollution, which means driving away from populated areas and waiting in the dark. Even if the aurora remains faint to the naked eye, a smartphone with night mode and low shutter speed can capture what the human eye might miss. Those with regular cameras should use a wide aperture, low shutter speed, and high ISO value to pull the phenomenon from the darkness.

This surge in auroral visibility is part of a larger solar cycle. The sun is currently at solar maximum, a phase in its roughly eleven-year cycle when sunspot activity and coronal mass ejections intensify. That increased solar output has been pushing the northern lights further south than usual in recent weeks. Last month, during a particularly strong geomagnetic storm, the aurora was visible as far south as Texas—a rare occurrence that demonstrated how far the effect can reach when solar activity peaks. The timing of this weekend's forecast also follows the beaver moon, a supermoon that reached one of its closest points to Earth for the year, appearing roughly 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than an average full moon.

For northern residents accustomed to occasional aurora sightings, this weekend represents a genuine opportunity. For those further south, it is a reminder that the sun's rhythms still govern what appears in our sky, and that the boundary between the ordinary and the spectacular can shift with solar winds.