FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Heads up aurora hunters! An opportunity to see the northern lights is coming up to begin the month of June. This looks to be our best chance to see the aurora since October of last year…
Northern lights spotted across region in October 2024
The sun launched a significant coronal mass ejection (CME) toward the direction of the Earth on Friday. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G4 Watch for June 1st and 2nd in anticipation of this CME’s arrival, meaning up to G4 Severe Geomagnetic Storming is possible during this time. When a solar storm of this magnitude occurs, the northern lights can be seen as far south as Alabama and northern California.
The most likely timing for us to see the aurora is Sunday after sunset. Below is a breakdown of our thoughts as of Saturday night.
We have a high confidence in a favorable forecast; you can expect clear skies and light winds Sunday night! However, some upper atmosphere smoke may cause the aurora to appear murky in the sky if it makes an appearance.
Confidence remains low though of the northern lights actually producing a grand show locally. This is because of the high level of difficulty in forecasting a CME; the timing and intensity will make all the difference as to whether or not we will have a chance to see the northern lights…