Which state will Northern Lights be visible to see today and tomorrow possibly up to 16 states

The Aug. 18 forecast has a Kp index of five while the Aug. 19 forecast has an index of three. For indexes in this range, lights will likely be “brighter and there will be more auroral activity” if they appear since they’re moving further from the poles, according to the SWPC.

The SWPC has an aurora forecast tool that provides a short-term forecast, showing the lights’ location and intensity for the next 30 to 90 minutes.

The northern lights could illuminate skies overnight on Aug. 18-19, thanks to a fast-moving stream of solar wind that may spark geomagnetic storm conditions, potentially triggering visible auroras across 15 states, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Northern Lights, also known as aurora borealis, are a natural light display caused by the collision of charged particles from the sun with the Earth’s atmosphere, primarily in the polar regions. These particles, released during solar storms, are guided by the Earth’s magnetic field towards the poles. 

When they collide with atmospheric gases, they excite the atoms, causing them to release energy in the form of light. 

A powerful solar storm has sent particles flowing from the sun that are interacting with Earth’s magnetosphere in ways that are triggering the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis. While the solar storm could pose a minimal threat to things like satellites, GPS signals and power grids, the activity means the luminous green and red glow of the auroras may be more widely visible than is typical.

Forecasters from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) and the U.K. Met Office predict a chance of minor (G1) geomagnetic storm conditions tonight, with further possible aurora enhancements in the days to come.

You can keep up with the latest forecasts and geomagnetic storm warnings with our aurora forecast live blog.

NOAA’s latest aurora viewline (see below) indicate that aurora displays are a possibility in northern U.S. states and Canada, with 16 U.S. states having a chance from around 10:00 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 18 through until around 4:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

“Late on 18 Aug, active conditions followed by G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm levels on 19 Aug are likely, due to the onset of influence from a recurrent, negative polarity CH HSS,” reads an update from NOAA. CH HSS refers to coronal hole high speed streams, which means the solar wind can escape more easily from the sun and will be fast-moving.

According to current forecasts, the northern lights may be visible tonight in 16 U.S. states. These states include Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. 

People in the northern parts of these states have the best chance of seeing the aurora borealis. 

The amazing Northern Lights is something everyone should experience at less once in their life.