A rare solar storm means all of Idaho could see the northern lights this weekend
Boise residents will have a rare chance to catch a glimpse of the northern lights on Friday night and early Saturday morning thanks to rare solar flares disrupting the Earth’s geomagnetic field.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center issued a Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch for Friday evening. The agency hasn’t issued a similar watch since January 2005.
NOAA predictions show that the “viewline” for the northern lights, or Aurora Borealis, will extend all the way to Idaho’s southern border across most of the state Friday night. That means the lights could be visible on the northern horizon. In North Idaho near the border with Canada, some viewers may see the lights directly overhead.
Activity is forecast to peak between 8 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday.
By Saturday night, the viewline is expected to shift farther north, closer to the Riggins area.
Though most of Idaho is in the area NOAA deems a lower likelihood for aurora activity, David Groenert, a meteorologist with the Boise office of the National Weather Service, said conditions are excellent for visibility.
In a phone interview, Groenert told the Idaho Statesman that Southwest Idaho forecasts show little to no cloud cover overnight, with temperatures in the low 50s in the Treasure Valley. Stargazers heading to the mountains to avoid Boise’s light pollution can plan for temperatures about 10 degrees colder.
The northern lights phenomenon is caused by solar storm particles entering the Earth’s magnetic field and interacting with atmospheric gases, according to NASA. The interaction creates a glowing, ethereal display that’s typically visible closest to the North and South poles.
The exaggerated solar flare activity creates more disturbance, measured on a scale called a K-index, which ranges from 0 to 9, with 9 having the most activity. Friday is expected to have a K-index of 8.
Updated northern lights forecast information is available online at NOAA’s aurora dashboard.
The geomagnetic storm could have other impacts, too. NOAA warns that severe geomagnetic activity can cause power outages, and also impact satellite and low-frequency radio transmissions.
This story was originally published May 10, 2024 at 11:28 AM.
