‘Severe’ Northern Lights Alert For 23 States On Thursday And Friday

Key Points:

• NOAA has issued an upgraded "Severe" Northern Lights alert for up to 23 U.S. states on June 4-5 due to expected geomagnetic storms reaching G4 strength, increasing the chances of visible auroras across northern and some mid-latitude states.
• The forecast is driven by multiple solar disturbances, including a coronal mass ejection from May 30, a co-rotating interaction region, and a high-speed solar wind stream, with additional potential impact from recent X-class solar flares on June 3.
• Visibility may be affected by a bright waning gibbous moon rising after midnight and the short nights near the June solstice, which can limit darkness and make auroras harder to see despite favorable geomagnetic conditions.
• Observers are encouraged to use aurora webcams and apps such as Aurora Now and My Aurora Forecast for live updates, while NOAA's DSCOVR satellite provides critical real-time solar wind data for short-term aurora forecasts with about 30 minutes’ notice.
• The intensity of the aurora depends on the orientation of the solar wind's magnetic field, with a southward Bz component signaling stronger geomagnetic activity and a higher likelihood of visible northern lights.