Northern Lights Forecast Brings Aurora to US and Canada

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a forecast with a Kp index of 4, indicating a brighter-than‑usual aurora display. In the United States, the best chances are in Alaska, with additional visibility expected in parts of Montana, North Dakota, northern Minnesota, and the northern portions of Washington, Idaho, Michigan, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In Canada, NOAA predicts the aurora will be visible across most provinces on the weekend of August 1‑2, with especially intense activity expected in locations such as Prince George, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Grande Prairie, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Churchill and Fort Severn. The forecast attributes the activity to a coronal mass ejection from the Sun, creating geomagnetic storms that can make the lights visible up to 1,000 km from the auroral oval. Both NOAA and the Canadian Space Agency advise observers to seek dark, low‑light‑pollution sites and to look toward the northern horizon after sunset, especially around midnight.