Aurora could be visible from Washington state Tuesday night after solar flares

If you’re in Washington state, you might want to look up at the night sky on Tuesday.

A pair of coronal mass ejections that left the sun on Sunday, April 13 are set to reach the Earth on April 15. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the geomagnetic storm could reach G3 classification on the one through five scale, indicating a strong storm. G3 storms can produce auroras visible from much of the northern U.S., if conditions allow.

“[We] have just posted about the G3 Watch and how at least one of the two CMEs that left the sun back on 13 April has now arrived at Earth – earlier than anticipated,” Shawn Dahl, SWPC’s service coordinator, told McClatchy in an email.

Dahl said that G3 levels are possible but that it’s too early to predict the storm’s exact magnitude with any certainty. A recent SWPC post indicates that G2 levels are more likely.

“The magnetic energy needs to also be orientated favorably, meaning it needs to be opposite Earth’s magnetic field (like two opposite magnets) for geomagnetic storm levels to intensify notably,” Dahl said. “Unfortunately we don’t have the science to know if/when that may happen – we can only observe it in real time.”

Will northern lights be visible from WA?

Nearly all of Washington has a chance to see the northern lights on Tuesday night, April 15, according to NOAA’s experimental aurora prediction dashboard, although the likelihood is in the low to moderate range. However, the dashboard currently maps the likelihood of seeing the aurora if a G2 storm hits. If the geomagnetic activity reaches G3 levels, the odds will increase.

“If things are favorable tonight and if G3 levels are reached, the aurora could manifest and be visible from Washington state,” Dahl said. “Even G2 levels will make that possible across the northern half of the state.”

The chances of seeing the aurora are typically better the farther north you are, and the less light pollution there is around you.

Will cloudy skies block the aurora in WA?

While G3 storms aren’t particularly rare, Tuesday could be a good opportunity for Washingtonians to see the northern lights because of the relatively clear skies in the forecast.

Seattle and Tacoma are expected to see partly cloudy skies Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service, while Bellingham is expected to see mostly clear skies. The forecast is less kind to Olympia, which could see mostly cloudy skies and fog later in the night.

The forecast is similar in much of eastern Washington and the Tri-Cities area is expected to see partly cloudy skies.

The University of Washington Department of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences forecast also calls for partly cloudy weather in much of western Washington on Tuesday night, with the skies clearing up right around Everett as you head north.

Will aurora be visible Wednesday?

There’s also a chance the aurora will be visible on Wednesday as CMEs continue to arrive. However, Dahl said that the odds that the northern lights will be visible from Washington on Wednesday are expected to be lower than the odds on Tuesday.

“CME passages are anticipated to continue into tomorrow, so there is a slight possibility of aurora viewing chances again on Wednesday evening,” Dahl said.

This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 1:21 PM.