Sky Watch: Northern Lights Possible in Washington, Dakotas

Friday evening a big sunspot which had been previously quiet finally let loose a large solar flare. The explosion lasted 3 hours and is moving towards Earth at a very fast speed meaning the Northern Lights will likely be visible at least in the northern tier of states.

According to spaceweather.com, auroras may be visible at mid to low latitudes as this severe geomagnetic storm impacts Earth on the evening of June 1, into the overnight hours. Looking at the Aurora Dashboard from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, you can see that most of the northern part of the United States will likely be able to see auroras tomorrow night, Sunday, June 1, 2025.

Infographic, NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center

But not everyone in these areas will be able to see the Northern Lights

Although the likelihood of a vibrant display of aurora borealis is good from this severe geomagnetic storm, there are 2 other factors that may greatly reduce the visibility. First of all, clouds will be a problem for some. Montana will likely be dealing with clouds as darkness falls Sunday night. Parts of the Dakotas, Washington as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin could see mostly clear skies, but there's also another problem. Smoke from the wildfires in Canada is still moving south through much of the upper Midwest, so that will likely make viewing the northern lights more difficult as well as Pivotal Weather's forecast maps show.

Infographic, Pivotal Weather

Infographic, Pivotal Weather

So, considering all of this, it would appear to me as I write this that Washington and North and South Dakota will have the most favorable sky conditions for the Northern Lights on Sunday night into early Monday morning. If the display reaches further south, hopefully more will get to see it too.