The Northern Lights forecast points to a possible display Monday night into Tuesday morning, June 29-30, after a coronal mass ejection from June 26 reaches Earth. The best viewing window is expected near the U.S.-Canadian border, with 19 states in line for at least some chance to see the lights.
NOAA and the UK Met Office both point to geomagnetic activity tied to that CME, with the UK Met Office calling for activity to rise to Active to G1 Minor Storms and a chance of G2 Moderate Storms. NOAA expects enhanced conditions early to mid on June 30, which keeps the overnight window in focus for anyone trying to catch the display.
Montana to Maine
The states with the best viewing potential include the northern parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Maine. Aurora may also be glimpsed from Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire, giving much of the northern tier of the U.S. at least some exposure to the forecast.
That spread does not mean a broad, bright event across the country. A G1 or G2 geomagnetic storm is not a major aurora outbreak forecast, even though KP 4 and KP5 conditions can sometimes bring visible Northern Lights to the far northern tier of the U.S. near the U.S.-Canadian border.
NOAA and the UK Met Office
The UK Met Office said the risk could continue into day 4, July 1, while NOAA’s forecast centers on the period when the CME is expected to drive the strongest activity. That leaves a short-lived target for people who want to watch: the best chance comes Monday night into Tuesday morning, before the window narrows again.
For people trying to see the lights, the practical advice is simple. Look north, avoid bright lights, and use long-exposure settings on phones or cameras, since cameras often detect faint aurora before the human eye can see color clearly. Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, and Maine sit closest to the most favorable zone, but long daylight hours after the solstice and the full Strawberry Moon may still make the display harder to catch.
The question now is not whether a forecast exists, but which places inside those 19 states get the clearest view once darkness arrives. For anyone along the northern edge of the U.S., that makes this a brief overnight check rather than a late-night wait.
