(NEXSTAR) — An eruption of solar material and magnetic fields is impacting Earth, prompting one of the strongest geomagnetic storms of the year — and a chance at seeing the northern lights for many.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has been tracking four notable coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — explosions of plasma and magnetic material from the sun — since Monday. While “the bulk” of three of the CMEs was expected to miss Earth, the SWPC said one hurled out by the sun Wednesday appeared to be heading our way.
As predicted, the agency reported a strong G3-level geomagnetic storm had started early Thursday morning. In an update, the SWPC said “infrastructure operators have been notified to mitigate any possible impacts,” which may include “controllable power fluctuations in the power grid,” a “slight risk” to satellite operations, and “intermittent GPS degradation.” As daunting as that sounds, infrastructure managers faced even stronger geomagnetic storming this year, and you likely didn’t even notice.
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What you may notice, however, is the northern lights.
Some of the main factors that can influence whether you’ll see the northern lights include the strength of the storm, your location, and the time of day.
Storms that reach G3 strength on the SWPC’s 5-point scale are capable of sending the northern lights as far south as Illinois and Oregon. The SWPC noted, however, that the true strength of the storm can change as the CME interacts with our atmosphere.
“The normal order of events for a CME impact at Earth are the arrival of the shock front followed later by the magnetic cloud,” the SWPC explained. “CME shock arrival can lead to immediate and sudden escalated geomagnetic responses. After shock passage, the strong magnetic field contained within the CME arrives some time later, that is when geomagnetic activity can increase dramatically if the magnetic field is favorable (aligned opposite Earth’s).”
While the SWPC is forecasting geomagnetic storm conditions ranging from G1 to G3 because of the CME, when (and if) that activity ramps up could impact whether you see the northern lights, regardless of where you live.
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If you were up around 1 a.m. ET Thursday, you may have seen the northern lights when activity was high. But through the day Thursday, you shouldn’t expect to see any aurora, thanks to the sun drowning them out.
The SWPC is, however, forecasting that conditions could reach northern light-sparking strength between about 1 p.m. ET Thursday and 1 a.m. ET on Friday.
If those conditions hold, the SWPC’s aurora viewing forecast gives parts or all of 24 states the chance at seeing the northern lights Thursday night: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Those in red have the greatest likelihood, while those in green have a lower chance of catching the aurora. Those at or near the red view line may see the celestial show on the northern horizon.
The aurora viewing forecast for Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. (NOAA SWPC)
Cloud cover could also diminish your chances of seeing the northern lights Thursday night, even if conditions are favorable.
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Geomagnetic storming is forecasted to continue into Friday, but the sun will, again, likely make it too bright to see any auroral action.
When the northern lights forecast is weaker, it’s often recommended to get as far away from outdoor lights as possible and look northward. Even then, you may only be able to see the northern lights by taking a picture with your phone.
