Aurora chances rise over Canada as geomagnetic storm arrives
You might catch a glimpse of the auroras if you look up on Thursday night
Take a gander at the skies overnight Thursday into early Friday morning and you might catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
Auroras are possible through the overnight hours as a ‘moderate’ geomagnetic storm is expected to wash over Earth’s atmosphere. A few lucky spots across Canada might be in a prime position to see the lights if they arrive.
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Fresh off a vivid round of northern lights that danced in the darkness over Canada on Wednesday night, a renewed round of auroras could arrive on Thursday night.
Forecasters with the U.S. Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) announced that they expect a ‘moderate’ G2 geomagnetic storm to arrive during the overnight hours Thursday into Friday morning.
Based on the intensity of the geomagnetic storm expected to arrive Thursday night, the best viewing potential will spread across the territories and the Prairies, with auroras possible throughout northern sections of British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Labrador.
But, as always, weather plays a determining role in whether you’ll have a chance at seeing the northern lights.
The best viewing potential will fall across the southern Prairies, especially around Regina, where clear skies should make for prime viewing if the northern lights live up to their potential. While much of Manitoba and northern Saskatchewan will remain cloud-free, dense wildfire smoke is likely to obscure the skies here.
Widespread clouds over Quebec, Ontario, and much of Alberta will make aurora viewing opportunities few and far between. Some lucky observers might catch a few breaks in the clouds here and there.
Header image created using Canva, with imagery courtesy of Jo/@atilla_thefun via X.