Image courtesy of the Space Weather Prediction Center It's difficult to predict the presence of the northern lights with certainty. The situation can change and beyond that, sometimes you just don't see the aurora for other reasons.

Though, it's important to note that those forecasts are not guarantees. When the activity is particularly strong, you might see the northern lights creep further south than it is generally seen. Among other things, that activity can result in auroral displays. The watches are a measure of solar activity arriving at the Earth's atmosphere. The warning is a G3, a 'strong' watch level in the SWPC system. A coronal mass ejection (CME) on October 28 could result in elevated auroral activity on October 30 into the morning of Halloween. The SWPC has issued a geomagnetic storm warning for the night of October 30. If that makes sense to you, you may want to attempt seeing the northern lights this weekend, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Especially if that item usually requires you to go out in the snow. By the summer solstice, you can be pretty confident that the aurora will be invisible in the sky.The nights are getting colder, but they aren't so cold yet that you wouldn't step outside to cross something off your bucket list. Summer (June to August) – Summer, as you’d expect for most northern hemisphere destinations, is the wrong time of year to see the aurora.Longer days and shorter nights make it less likely you’ll see the aurora than earlier in the year. Spring (March to May) – By the end of April, as Spring comes to the northern hemisphere, your chances of seeing the northern lights in the USA will become increasingly limited.From the long nights of December through February, you might be able to see the northern lights as long as you have a good northern view. Winter (December to February) – The long winter season is understandably the best opportunity to see the northern lights.If you’re trying to plan an aurora-hunting trip in the autumn, be sure to check the forecast and plan for weather that changes quickly. Weather in autumn can be pretty dynamic in these northern destinations. Autumn (September to November) – As soon as the autumnal equinox has passed, it’s ‘aurora season’ across the northern hemisphere.Generally speaking though, here’s the breakdown on when you’re most likely to see the northern lights in the USA. While Alaska has huge swings in both temperature and daylight, these aren’t quite as obvious in contiguous states. Seasonality varies widely across the United States – even in the northern states we’re focusing on now. This post was originally published in October 2019, and was updated in December 2021 for the coming winter. If you don’t see your state on the list, that means you’re too far south! You’ll need to travel further north, so start planning now.

Finally, we’ll end with a list of the best destinations to see the northern lights in the USA for every state where it’s possible. We’ll then provide tips on when you might see the northern lights throughout the year.

In this post, we’ll share how you can see them too.įirst, we’ll break down the basics of the aurora phenomenon. These explanations show that the northern lights have long been visible in the U.S. On the other hand, the Makah Indians of Washington believed the lights were fires boiling a pot of whale blubber. For example, the Mandan tribe of North Dakota thought the northern lights were the fires of great medicine men. Native peoples across the northern part of what is now the United States had myths and legends to explain the aurora. You just have to plan ahead to get to an ideal viewing spot. and want to see the northern lights in the USA, it’s totally possible. Did you see the news? The aurora will be visible across the northern parts of the globe! If you’re living in the northern part of the U.S.

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