Much of Washington could see northern lights due to ‘cannibal solar storm’

Part of Washington could see the northern lights due to heightened geomagnetic activity.

A “cannibal solar storm” made contact with the Earth’s magnetic field on Monday, Sept. 1, Space.com said, resulting in a geomagnetic storm that lit up skies across Europe and North America overnight.”

During that storm, one coronal mass ejection swept up another en route to Earth, Space.com explained.

Skygazers in Washington could still catch a glimpse of colorful dancing lights known as the aurora borealis

Here’s what to know:

What are northern lights?

Auroras are caused by “electrons colliding with the upper reaches of Earth’s atmosphere,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The sun’s particles collide with oxygen and nitrogen atoms, resulting in a spectacular light show. Typically, aurora borealis form about 80 to 500 kilometers — about 50 to 311 miles — above the Earth’s surface, the federal weather agency said on its website.

Will northern lights be visible from Washington?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration initially predicted that the storm would hit Monday and carry over into Tuesday, reaching G2 (moderate) or G3 (strong) levels, with the potential to strengthen.

On Tuesday, NOAA issued a warning for a G2 storm with a K-index of 6, resulting in a moderate to active aurora that “may be seen as low as New York to Wisconsin to Washington state.”

That doesn’t guarantee that Washington residents will be able to see the northern lights, although it’s a possibility.

NOAA maintains an experimental aurora dashboard with a map of areas where people are expected to see the northern lights.

As of Tuesday afternoon, most of Washington was well within the aurora’s view line – the range where sightings are considered possible.

The view line extended to the southeast corner of Washington, which means people in most parts of the state have a chance to see the northern lights.

According to NOAA, southwestern Washington is outside of the viewing range entirely, while visibility will be low elsewhere in Washington.

Sky watchers in northern Washington have slightly better odds than those the rest of the state, the federal weather agency said.

When did WA last see the northern lights?

The sun reached the peak of its 11-year cycle of magnetic activity late in 2024, which means Washington residents had more chances to see the northern lights.

The northern lights were visible from Washington on a handful of occasions that year, most notably the rare G5 storm that hit Earth that May.

What’s the best way to view aurora borealis?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there are a few ways to increase your odds of seeing the northern lights in the Northern Hemisphere.

First of all, the agency recommends going to a place where you’ll have a view as far to the north as possible. That could mean driving north or finding a hill or lookout with a clear view in that direction.

Auroras are also more visible the darker it is outside.

For the best view of an aurora, go somewhere with as little light pollution as possible.

You should look between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. to spot the most active auroras.

Geomagnetic activity tends to increase around the fall and spring equinoxes, federal weather officials said.