5 days ago
Want to see northern lights in WA tonight? How to find areas with less light
If you're in Washington state and missed seeing the northern lights over the weekend that resulted from a 'severe' G4-level geomagnetic storm, you'll get another chance on Monday night. A second alert for a G3-level storm was issued by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center for the night of June 2.
People who are in Olympia and farther north up to Bellingham should have partly clear skies and a chance to see the aurora borealis after sunset around 9 p.m. Tacoma is expected to have mostly clear skies. In eastern Washington, the Tri-Cities area should have the best chance to see the lights, with nothing but clear skies in the evening forecast.
Geomagnetic storms are classified on a scale of one through five, with G3 and higher indicating a strong storm. A G4 storm, like the one that was observed over the weekend, can cause a 'major disturbance in Earth's magnetic field,' according to NOAA. Such a storm can produce auroras visible from much of the northern United States if conditions allow.
Much of Washington will have a chance to see the northern lights on Monday night, according to NOAA's experimental aurora prediction dashboard, although the likelihood is in the low to moderate range. The dashboard is updated throughout the day.
The chances of seeing the aurora are better the farther north you are, and the less light pollution there is around you.
To find spots near you with low light pollution, you can search using interactive maps online.
Here are some useful light pollution map sites:
Dark Site Finder
Light Pollution Map
ClearDarkSky
Light Pollution Map app
Light Pollution Atlas
