A new northern lights forecast says parts of the northern United States could catch a view of the aurora late Thursday night into Friday morning. According to NOAA, a possible G1 geomagnetic storm is in the outlook for the July 30 to July 31 period, raising the chance of aurora sightings in up to 10 northern states.
The forecast suggests any display would most likely appear low on the northern horizon rather than overhead for many viewers in the U.S. That means visibility would depend on how the geomagnetic activity develops overnight, along with local sky conditions.
Interest in the aurora has stayed high as solar activity continues to send occasional disturbances toward Earth. When those disturbances interact with the planet's magnetic field, they can push the northern lights farther south than usual, giving more people a chance to see them.
For Thursday night, the key takeaway is that NOAA is signaling a modest but notable opportunity for aurora watching across parts of the northern tier. While the exact reach of the display may shift, the forecast points to a window when the northern lights could become visible from several northern U.S. locations.
