Did you miss the northern lights, Boise? New forecast says South Idaho has another shot

Idahoans kicking themselves for missing the spectacle of the overnight light show brought by the aurora borealis Friday into Saturday appear as though they’ll be treated with a second chance.

Saturday afternoon forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center indicate a second coming in and around the Gem State, including around the Treasure Valley.

Friday evening already marked the first Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch since 2005. The agency now expects those similar rare weather event conditions to continue into Sunday. And if late Saturday’s display is anything like it was late Friday, South Idaho is in for another unforgettable experience, if not once-in-a-generation.

“The historic geomagnetic storm continues …” NOAA wrote in a Saturday afternoon post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Weather conditions should be similar to Friday into early Saturday, David Groenert, a meteorologist with the Boise office of the National Weather Service, told the Statesman by phone. Overnight temperatures into Sunday may even be a tad warmer, he said.

“It should be the same as last night, not any cloud cover for tonight, so clear skies,” Groenert said. “The skies shouldn’t be an issue, just a matter if they show up. … It peaked around midnight to 2 a.m. (Saturday), and, in that case, it will still be in the low-60s in Boise, and Bogus Basin will be around 50 degrees.”

Recommendations are to get to areas of the region with low light pollution for the show. Around midnight and after may again prove to be the sweet spot for the skyward exhibition.

Get your popcorn and cameras ready.