Northern Lights in MN: Aurora could be visible Thursday

MN weather: Clear skies, aurora possible on Thursday

Jennifer McDermed takes a look at the forecast for Thursday night and beyond.

(FOX 9) - Minnesotans could get the chance to see the Northern Lights on Thursday as a "strong" geomagnetic storm is underway.

What we know

During the daytime hours on Thursday, the geomagnetic storm reached a G3 (or strong) rating.

It follows a coronal mass ejection (an ejection of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's corona) that was detected this week. When ejection reaches Earth, it creates geomagnetic storms that fuel the aurora.

Aurora forecast

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says the aurora could be visible as far south as Iowa. They estimate the aurora will be at its peak in the early morning hours between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. central time.

Skies are expected to be clear – though smoke in the atmosphere could impact the view -- and the people with the best chance to see anything will be those in northern Minnesota.

Right now, the NOAA is only forecasting a G2 storm for overnight, which is on the lower end of the five-tier scale. So, it's good to reign in expectations. Even during strong storms, the aurora is hard to predict.

Tips for viewing the Northern Lights

The NOAA recommends the following tips for the best chance to see the Northern Lights.

Go north.
Go to areas with less light pollution. You can use this map to find the best spots near you.
Often, the best times to see the aurora are closer to midnight.
The spring and fall are often the best times to see the aurora, because "the subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere" can create larger geomagnetic storms.