Wednesday night might be a good night for everybody’s favorite and hard-to-find rare spectacle, the aurora borealis. Thanks to a strong geomagnetic storm, the northern lights may be visible much farther south compared to normal.
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm warning. The KP index is forecasted to be at or just above 6, which for our area will be between 2-5 pm (not helpful!) At this level, the northern lights would more than likely be visible in western Washington and potentially as far south as Oregon or even Illinois! However, when it’s dark enough for western Washington, the KP index will drop closer to 5 and then to 4 or lower by 5 am Thursday.
The best time tonight will, of course, be after sunset, but as I mentioned, the available energy will rapidly decrease into early tomorrow morning. Still late tonight, between 10 pm and 2 am, you have a chance to see it. As always, peak visibility will be at elevated areas with a clear view and north-facing.
Places like Snoqualmie Point, Mount Pilchuck, or even the North Cascades National Park would be fantastic options. If you’re just at home hoping to catch it with your phone, switch off the flash and select night mode. Be ready to hold your phone still for a few seconds as you capture the image.
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