What is the northern lights forecast for Green Bay for Friday and Saturday nights?

Benita Mathew, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·2 min read

GREEN BAY - The northern lights could dance their way across skies in the Green Bay area in a rare viewing Friday and Saturday nights.

The northern lights could be visible in most northern parts of the U.S. because of at least seven coronal mass ejections that will arrive at Earth, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Particles from the CME cause a strong geomagnetic storm, that make views of the northern lights possible.

You can use the NOAA's Aurora Forecaster Tool, which forecasts the location and intensity 30 to 90 minutes ahead of time.

Here's what to know before you head out tonight to catch a rare glimpse.

How's the weather in Green Bay Friday and Saturday?

The best night to see the lights will be Saturday night in Green Bay, said Roy Eckberg, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Green Bay.

The weekend will start with spotty showers Friday evening through midnight. Clouds will start to clear overnight.

"The better chance is several hours after midnight tonight," Eckberg said.

The sky will be clearer Saturday night, starting out clear in the early evening hours. Some clouds may come in and reduce visibility in the early hours of Sunday morning.

You can track cloud coverage as they move over Wisconsin on NOAA GOES Image Viewer.

The northern lights put on a spectacular display April 23, 2023, near Pulaski.
The northern lights put on a spectacular display April 23, 2023, near Pulaski.

How to get a good view of the northern lights

The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center offers a few tips to get a better view of the northern lights:

  • Get as far away as you can from city lights so you get an unobstructed view.

  • The best aurora is typically between an hour or two of midnight, so head out between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

If you want to make a drive to Door County, Newport State Park in Ellison Bay is a designated Dark Sky park that will give you the best viewing.

Rebecca Loroff of the Appleton Post Crescent contributed to this article.

Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: What is northern lights forecast for Green Bay for Friday, Saturday?