Aurora possible Sunday night, but hazy skies may interfere

Yahoo

6 days ago

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — There is a chance the northern lights could make an appearance in West Michigan if the wildfire smoke is able to clear in time.
The has issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch for June 2. This level is considered severe and may bring the northern lights into West Michigan.
A G4 geomagnetic storm correlates to the Kp index, or the measurement of geomagnetic activity. Late Sunday evening into the early morning hours of Monday morning, the Kp index is expected to reach a 7.
The northern lights may be seen as far south as northern Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. In West Michigan, the best chance for viewing will be in the Upper Peninsula and northern lower Michigan.
Forecasting the aurora is quite challenging, largely because it is based on solar activity like solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These forecasts often change frequently and quickly. The Space Weather Prediction Center does provide an update every 30 minutes to reflect these changes.
While West Michigan is expected to be free of cloud cover Sunday night, viewing may be limited due to Canadian wildfire smoke.
Hazy skies are expected to linger into Sunday afternoon before winds begin to shift into Monday. There is a chance the smoke will clear in time to give way to viewing the northern lights. As of now, the thickest layer of smoke is expected to hold off to the west.
If West Michigan is too hazy to view the northern lights Sunday night, there may be another opportunity Monday night. Stay with Storm Team 8 for the latest.
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