Will California see the northern lights again tonight?

(FOX40.COM) — The strongest solar storm in decades put on a rare light show across California skies on Friday night and its intensity has some people wondering if the northern lights will soon return.
•Video Above: Northern lights and weather forecast

“The extreme geomagnetic storm continues and will persist through at least Sunday,” the National Oceanic Atmospheric Associate said on X.

California residents capture views of the northern lights

Since solar activity remains especially high, the effects could last until early next week, giving many sky-gazers a second chance to witness the northern lights, according to NOAA. This type of storm is classified as G5, the highest level. The last storm of this magnitude was over 20 years ago in October of 2003.

“Overnight, aurora were visible across much of the United States. Weather permitting, they may be visible again tonight,” NOAA said in a Saturday morning update.

Severe solar storm could disrupt power grid, GPS, technology

Residents near the California-Oregon border may get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness a repeat light show between 10 p.m. on Saturday and 3 a.m. on Sunday. For other parts of the state, it could seem like the lights skipped over California this time around, but there’s a chance for visibility in rural areas. Experts said northern lights beyond the border may be invisible to the naked eye, but it’s possible for cell phone cameras to capture them.

NOAA’s Space and Weather Prediction Center published an experimental forecast map where users can keep watch on storm intensity and the possible northern light visibility from their region and state.

Experts added that northern lights are only visible at night and away from big city centers. The most likely areas to get a clear encore of the northern lights are Ohio, Oregon, Colorado, Nebraska, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York.

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