NOAA says ‘it’s possible’ for northern lights to be seen in Northern California this week

(FOX40.COM) — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently issued a solar storm watch that left some Californians hopeful for another chance to see rare colorful lights appear in the skies.
• Video Above: People all over California captured images of the northern lights in May 2024.

“Solar activity increased over the weekend and the Sun has been erupting in solar flares,” NOAA said on X .

The northern lights, officially known as aurora borealis, are caused by a severe solar (geomagnetic) storms. A geomagnetic storm watch was issued for Tuesday through Thursday due to an increased number of coronal mass ejections, according to NOAA. The intensity of the storm is forecast to be in the G1-G3 range, lower than the maximum-rated G5 storm many people witnessed in May .

Although the current solar storm won’t be as strong as the one people all over the the United States witnessed months ago, the Space Weather Prediction Center shows several states to be near the northern lights view line over the next few days.

Shawn Dahl, Space Weather Prediction Center Service Coordinator told FOX40.com it’s possible for the northern lights to be visible in far Northern California this week.

“The storm has not been as strong or as favorable for viewing, but there’s an update every three hours,” Dahl said. “It’s worth paying attention to.”

Dahl said the greatest viewing chances are on Tuesday and Wednesday and its worth keeping an eye on because geomagnetic storms can intensify. According to KDRV news in Castle Lake , some Northern California residents began to see the lights in the sky on Monday night and recorded video footage of what they witnessed.

To see the northern lights, experts recommend getting away from city lights and light pollution. Phone cameras can also capture lights better than the naked eye. For more information visit spaceweather.gov .

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