Northern Lights possible in Midwest, northern US on Labor Day after blast from Sun triggers geomagnetic storm
The SWPC forecasts impacts from the CME will interact with Earth’s atmosphere around Monday evening into Tuesday morning East Coast time.
Geomagnetic storm produces aurora lights in Central Illinois
FILE: A photographer near Varna, Illinois captured the Northern Lights during a geomagnetic storm on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
An eruption of charged material from the Sun will create vivid displays of Northern Lights as far south as the Midwest on Labor Day, according to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
A solar event known as a full-halo coronal mass ejection (CME) was seen by NOAA and NASA satellites erupting from the Sun on Saturday, prompting the SWPC to issue a Geomagnetic Storm Watch through Tuesday. This charged energy from the Sun is traveling at 2 million mph through space and will likely reach Earth beginning Monday night.
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Unlike a regular CME, which departs from one area, halo CME emissions appear as a ring on a coronagraph image. According to the SWPC, full halo CMEs from the front side of the Sun, like the one observed on Saturday, almost always result in geomagnetic storms on Earth.
FILE: Northern lights (Aurora Borealis) illuminate the sky in Alaska's Eklutna Tailrace, United States on March 09, 2025. (Hasan Akbas / Anadolu / Getty Images)
These types of CMES can cause disruptions to technology, including the power grid, satellite operations and GPS. The SWPC has informed infrastructure operators of the impending geomagnetic storm.
When will impacts from the CME arrive to Earth?
The SWPC forecasts impacts from the CME will interact with Earth’s atmosphere between Monday evening and Tuesday morning East Coast time.
The leading edge of the CME, called the shock front, arrived first, around 5 p.m. Monday, and was observed by NOAA's GOES satellites.
This will lead to Level 1 and 2 (out of 5) geomagnetic storming late Monday, according to the SWPC. Hours later, the magnetic core of the CME will arrive with strong Level 3, and possibly, severe Level 4 storming.
Early Tuesday, the greatest Kp levels are forecast to reach 6.67 out of 9 on NOAA's geomagnetic storm scale. The higher the KP value, the farther south the lights will appear. If the KP level reaches 7, lights will appear as far south as Wyoming.
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Moderate Level 2 geomagnetic storming is likely Monday night with strong Level 3 conditions likely into Tuesday.
Under the current forecast, aurora lights will be best viewed in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
To view the aurora lights, it's best to move away from city lights and other light pollution sources. A clear sky is also essential to view these sometimes faint dancing lights.
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking good conditions for many areas across the Northeast, Great Lakes and Northwest. Cloud cover will be moderate in the farthest corners of the country, including in Seattle and Caribou.
Even if you can't see the Northern Lights with the naked eye, use your smartphone's night mode or take high-exposure photos on a camera to capture some faint lights. Using a tripod will help steady your camera and capture the clearest aurora images.