BUFFALO, N.Y. — After an intense solar storm Sunday that allowed for the Northern Lights to be seen as far south as Alabama, Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Elyse Smith broke down this space weather phenomenon and how experts know when the Northern Lights could be visible across the United States.
Just like how the Storm Prediction Center forecasts severe weather here on Earth, there is a division within NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) that is dedicated to monitoring solar activity: The Space Weather Prediction Center. They're responsible for alerting the public about potential solar storms, their strength, and impacts. Those products include outlooks for satellite operations, radio blackouts, and, the most popular, a chance of viewing the Aurora Borealis... more commonly known as the Northern Lights.
On that note, one of the viewer questions Elyse answered was about the frequency of being able to see the Northern Lights. They asked, "It seems like we've had more opportunities to see the Northern Lights over the past few months. Is there a reason why?"
Yes, there is some truth to that! In 2020 we entered solar cycle 25, which space weather experts hinted at being an active one for solar flares and activity. They base that on several factors, mainly the amount and size of sunspots and their potential growth of them. That peak is expected sometime in 2025 so until then, we'll be on the lookout for more of these potential Aurora and Northern Lights sightings.
And it's safe to say that there is solar activity every day, but the Earth has to be in the proper alignment to be impacted by a solar storm and for the Northern Lights to be visible. And if that is the case, you want to get away from light pollution, in the middle of the night, and look north. And hopefully, it won't be cloudy.