Aurora Borealis: Best Chances Of Northern Lights In WI

Milwaukee WI

03 February, 2022

2:42 PM

Description

WISCONSIN — Northern lights from a powerful solar flare whipping across Earth are expected to be visible in northern parts of Wisconsin Thursday. The aurora borealis effect leaving lacy curtain-like lights across up north skies are the result of an explosion on the sun's surface Saturday, the Space Weather Prediction Center said. A map of states where the auroras may be visible shows the lingering effects can be seen in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. See Also: Aurora Borealis Map: Northern Lights May Dance In Several States So where are the best places in Wisconsin to see the northern lights? Travel website Van Life Wanderer offered some recommendations. The Apostle IslandsThe Chequamegon-Nicolet National ForestBig Bay State ParkPotawatomi State Park in Sturgeon BayNewport State ParkAshland CountyBayfield CountyScientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they had "fair" confidence that the coronal mass ejection — the explosion that will bring the lights, shortened to CME — would reach earth Wednesday. Predictions of how intense or the arrival time of the CME had "lower levels of confidence." Forecasters expect a G1 storm, a weak solar storm, to reach Earth Thursday. A G2 storm wouldn't disrupt power grids or knock out satellites. Washington State, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas and the New England states may have a chance to see lights too, forecasters said.