Northern Lights Could Once Again Return to New York State This Week

The Aurora Borealis could return once again this week to states as far south as New York this week. But experts say it can be a bit tricky trying to forecast an event like this.

The Northern Lights have already proven that they can be very hit or miss in this area. Sometimes you'll get spectacular displays, like the previous Aurora events in May and October 2024. Other times, only parts of the state further north will see anything at all.

Early spring is also a notoriously overcast time of the year across the Northeast.

See Also: One of the Oldest Known Meteor Showers Arrives In New York State Soon

While the Northern (and Southern) Lights are usually only seen in Earth's higher latitudes, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the current cycle of solar storms will peak by May 2025, which could make the lights a more frequent occurrence in states as far south as New York.

Northern Lights Could Once Again Return to New York State This Week

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center reports that they have issued a G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for April 16, due to the arrival of two CMEs that left the Sun April 13. There is a slight chance of activity persisting into April 17.

*** Update: The geomagnetic storm has been upgraded to a G3. NOAA says that a shock associated with a coronal mass ejection hit Earth. The strength and orientation of the magnetic energy of the CME will dictate how far the aurora might develop, according to NOAA. ***

What Are the Northern Lights? 

The Sun's solar winds send particles through space and towards the Earth at millions of miles per hour. The Earth's magnetic field deflects the solar wind, stretching the field until it sort of snaps these charged particles back down toward the planet.

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Once these particles collide with the gases in our atmosphere, they begin to glow, according to the Canadian Space Agency.  

See Also: Series Of "Low Booms" Heard Over Parts of New York State