Minnesota Weather: Northern Lights Possible Saturday Night
UPDATE (9 p.m.): According to the Saturday evening update from the Space Weather Prediction Center, the peak northern light viewing time will be between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m.
While that's pretty late (or early), Minnesotans who are up should have a pretty good chance of seeing the aurora borealis as skies are expected to be clear over Minnesota.
For the best chance of seeing the lights, head to northern Minnesota and stay away from cities and light pollution. Still, residents in the south may be able to see the lights, as the solar storm is forecasted to extend into Iowa.
Chasing the Aurora Borealis tonight? The Space Weather Prediction Center's 7:30PM update indicates the peak to now be between 4-7AM. See the definition of a "G3" storm in the image below.
— NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) October 31, 2021
Good news? Clouds should be clearing for much of MN
Bad news? It'll be 4AM ????#MNwx #WIwx pic.twitter.com/SCRwEspHYV
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The northern lights could be visible for large parts of Minnesota on Saturday night, as the state is under a solar storm watch.
Though it could be hard to see the lights in the metro area due to light pollution, Meteorologist Mike Augustyniak shared some tips for the best way to see the aurora.
The best time to look is after midnight, he said, and get away from the city lights. Augustyniak also said to start by looking north, though since this storm will come so far south, you could possibly look in any direction and still see the lights.
Near the Twin Cities, a greenish light show is most common, and the dancing vibrant colors are often seen in the northern part of the state.
We're still in for a good #NorthernLights show tonight. There will be several hours of clear skies in almost all of #MNwx and #WIwx so the weather should play along. Here's how to set yourself up for viewing success. pic.twitter.com/W0FntTWntP
— Mike Augustyniak (@MikeAugustyniak) October 30, 2021
Saturday evening will see some cloud cover, however. In the Twin Cities, the clouds could clear out around 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. Sunday.
Augustyniak says that we're entering the beginning of a four-to-five years stretch of increasing solar storm activity, so if you don't see the lights this time around, there will be more opportunities in the future.
Overnight Saturday will be cold, leading into a Halloween which could see a high temperature in the mid-40s.