The Northern Lights may be visible in the U.S. overnight on Tuesday, Nov. 11 through Wednesday, Nov. 12, with a strong G3 geomagnetic storm being forecast by space weather experts at NOAA.
It could trigger widespread aurora across 22 northern and lower Midwest states as two coronal mass ejections arrive from the sun, potentially combining as they interact with Earth’s atmosphere.
Key Facts
The latest NOAA forecast and storm watch alert includes a Kp index of up to 7.33 on a scale of 0-9 for Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, indicating the northern lights may be visible from northern states, the lower Midwest and even Oregon.
The Northern Lights are caused by the solar wind, which intensifies when coronal mass ejections — clouds of charged particles — leave the sun and travel toward Earth at speeds of up to 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) per second.
According to Spaceweather.com, the two CMEs could combine just before they arrive at Earth and strike its magnetic field, causing them to merge to become a rare "cannibal CME." The website reports that the last cannibal CME on Apr. 15, 2025, amplified aurora during a G4 geomagnetic storm.
A geomagnetic storm rated G3 (on a scale of G1-G5) is predicted to begin on Tuesday, Nov. 11, with aurora potentially visible at any time of night. The forecast indicates that the strongest G3 levels may occur between 0300 and 0900 UTC, which corresponds to 10:00 p.m. through 1:00 a.m. EST. However, predictions of exact timings are often wrong.
To check the latest forecasts, use NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast and apps such as Aurora Now, My Aurora Forecast or Glendale Aurora for up-to-the-minute alerts. A good way to stay up to date is to check aurora webcams around the world. For the best views, locate a dark place using the Dark Sky Place Finder and a light pollution map.
