Aurora borealis forecast: Which US states could see northern lights tonight and tomorrow? When and where to watch

According to NOAA, the aurora could be seen as far south as Alabama and northern California on Nov. 12.

The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 (Severe) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Wednesday, predicting that auroras may be visible across much of the United States.

Northern lights may be visible across much of the United States tonight and tomorrow. (Representational image/ UnSplash)

The storm is expected to be severe on Nov. 12, strong on Nov. 13, and minor on Nov. 14. This means northern lights could appear in several states as early as Tuesday night.

According to NOAA, the aurora could be seen as far south as Alabama and northern California on Nov. 12, though visibility depends on the orientation of Earth’s magnetic field.

"Space weather forecasters issued a rare Severe (level 4 out of 5) Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Wednesday due to recent CME activity. Another CME was seen blasting out from the sun Tuesday, moving at up to 4.4 million mph," AccuWeather reported. “Solar material from this explosion is likely to arrive late Tuesday night or early Wednesday, according to the SWPC, and could set off some aurora across the northern U.S. before the bigger event arrives Wednesday.”

Best states to see the northern lights

According to NOAA, the following states have the highest chance of visibility on Nov. 11:

Washington

Idaho

Montana

North Dakota

South Dakota

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Michigan

Alaska

States in the view line, where sightings are still possible, include:

Oregon

Wyoming

Nebraska

Iowa

Indiana

Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

Vermont

New Hampshire

Maine

Massachusetts

When to look

The northern lights are typically most visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

According to NOAA’s 3-day forecast, the best viewing window for this storm is likely between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.