Best Chance in Weeks for New York to See the Northern Lights This Weekend

The strongest chance to see the aurora borealis since early May is this weekend. Where in New York will you be able to see it?

NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute agree there's a strong chance to see the Northern Lights tonight following a massive a geometric storm that could impact parts of New York State on Friday, June 28.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks updated its auroral alert to say there will be "high activity" tonight. The institute uses a geomagnetic index, known as Kp, to rate auroral activity between 0 and 9. The higher the number, the better chance we have of seeing the Northern lights.

Currently, Kp is set at a 5.

Said the university:

Auroral activity will be high. Weather permitting, highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Juneau, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Sept-Iles, and visible low on the horizon from Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and Halifax.

The NOAA also updated its forecast map that shows a very promising "view line" across Upstate New York. They base auroral activity on a strength scale of G 1 to 5 - with the higher number being more favorable. They have currently set their forecast to G1.

It is possible nearby regions, including Central New York could catch some auroral activity... weather permitting. Right now, the forecast calls for increasing clouds and a chance of rain after 4 in the morning.

Even if nothing but rain happens tonight, chances are extremely high you will be able to catch the Northern lights this year - so don't lose hope!

Read More: 2024 Will Be the Greatest Year Ever for Northern Lights in New York

As for when we could see them after this, preliminary data from UAF suggests there will be a massive blitz of auroral activity around July 14.

If you're unable to see tonight's aurora for whatever reason, you can always watch the Canadian Space Agency stream a live feed of the skies in Yellowknife, which is one of the biggest auroral hotspots in the world.

If you were able to catch the aurora borealis this year and managed to snag photos, send them to us using our station app's chat feature. We'd love to see them!

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