Aurora Borealis Could Be Visible Early Saturday in Northern United States

22 Jul 2022, 7:23 pm

Stargazers in the northern tier of the United States could be in for a treat Friday night into Saturday morning. Aurora Borealis activity is expected to increase late Friday, peaking early Saturday as the energy from a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) hits the Earths magnetic field.

The graphic at the top of the page is a forecast issued by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, depicting where aurora activity could be visible overhead (solid green) and on the horizon (north of the green line).

G1 (Minor) and G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watches are in effect for 22-23 Jul. Please refer to the graphic for more information. pic.twitter.com/ajFgMX0v7d

— NOAA Space Weather (@NWSSWPC) July 21, 2022

The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a geomagnetic storm watch at a level G1 for Friday night, and G2 for early Saturday. Energy from a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) that occurred on July 21st is expected to hit the Earth starting late Friday, intensifying into the early morning on July 23rd.

The darkest skies, away from light pollution, will make for ideal viewing conditions, but the waning crescent moon could cause issues for those viewing in latitudes closer to the line, or with less dark skies.

Cloud cover could be an issue across portions of the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains. But many in the viewing aurora should have clear to mostly clear skies.

You can check the latest aurora conditions and forecast on the SWPC page, linked above.

About the author

Rob Bradley

Rob grew up in South Florida, where daily afternoon storms and hurricanes piqued his interest in meteorology early on. That interest was fostered by his teachers and his father, who one time brought him onto the roof of their home to watch a funnel cloud move through the Everglades several miles away. ... Load MoreYears of filmmaking and tv production in high school gradually pushed him toward broadcast meteorology at Florida State University, where he joined and eventually led the student run daily weather show. After graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Meteorology, he began his career at KESQ in Palm Springs, California before heading to KFSN in Fresno and WLOS in Asheville, North Carolina. He has covered a diverse array of extreme weather events, including haboobs and flash flooding in the desert, extreme snow in the Sierra, hurricanes, and Appalachian ice storms. He also enjoys telling stories and reporting about weather issues. Connect with Rob on Twitter