{"id":783,"date":"2026-07-31T22:07:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/?p=783"},"modified":"2026-07-31T22:07:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:07:30","slug":"northern-lights-forecast-where-to-see-the-aurora-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/?p=783","title":{"rendered":"Northern Lights Forecast: Where to See the Aurora This Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"justify-start\">\n<nav class=\"align-left col-span-full mb-base\" data-pom-e2e-test-id=\"breadcrumbs\"\/>\n<p>The latest aurora borealis forecast is calling for displays across much of Canada and parts of the northern U.S. states on Friday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 2. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"border-border-light border-t py-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"flex h-4 justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex gap-x-base-tight\">\n<div class=\"\"><button class=\"inline-flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full cursor-default bg-bg-surface hover:bg-bg-light focus:bg-bg-dark text-primary border border-solid border-border-light aria-pressed:bg-brand-primary aria-pressed:text-text-surface py-very-tight px-base-tight gap-tight font-semibold font-utility-2 opacity-50\" aria-label=\"Loading audio\" aria-pressed=\"false\" id=\"article-listen-button\" disabled=\"\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"18\" height=\"18\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 18\" fill=\"none\" class=\"\"><title>Listen to this article<\/title><path d=\"M12.5265 16.2C12.2326 16.2 12.0122 16.1265 11.7184 16.053C11.2775 15.9061 10.9102 15.6122 10.6898 15.2449C10.4694 14.8775 10.3959 14.4367 10.5428 13.9959L11.5714 10.3959C11.6449 10.1755 11.7184 9.95509 11.8653 9.80815C12.0122 9.66121 12.1592 9.51427 12.3796 9.36733C12.6 9.29386 12.8204 9.2204 13.0408 9.14693C13.2612 9.14693 13.4816 9.14693 13.702 9.2204H13.7755C14.2163 9.36733 14.5837 9.58774 14.951 9.95509C14.951 9.66121 14.951 9.29386 14.951 8.99999C14.951 7.38366 14.2898 5.8408 13.1877 4.73876C12.0122 3.56325 10.5428 2.9755 8.92652 2.9755C7.31019 2.9755 5.76733 3.63672 4.66529 4.73876C3.48978 5.8408 2.82856 7.38366 2.82856 8.99999C2.82856 9.29386 2.82856 9.66121 2.82856 9.95509C3.12244 9.66121 3.56325 9.36733 4.00407 9.2204H4.07754C4.29795 9.14693 4.51835 9.14693 4.73876 9.14693C4.95917 9.14693 5.17958 9.2204 5.39999 9.36733C5.6204 9.4408 5.76733 9.58774 5.91427 9.80815C6.06121 9.95509 6.13468 10.1755 6.20815 10.3959L7.23672 13.9959C7.38366 14.4367 7.31019 14.8775 7.08978 15.2449C6.86938 15.6122 6.50203 15.9061 6.13468 16.053C5.76733 16.2 5.39999 16.2 5.03264 16.2C4.66529 16.1265 4.29795 16.053 4.00407 15.9061C3.63672 15.6122 3.41631 15.3918 3.12244 15.0979C2.90203 14.8775 2.75509 14.5102 2.68162 14.1428L2.38774 13.0408L2.2408 12.6735C2.2408 12.6 2.16733 12.453 2.16733 12.3796C1.87346 11.2775 1.79999 10.1755 1.79999 8.99999C1.79999 7.08978 2.53468 5.25305 3.9306 3.9306C5.25305 2.60815 7.08978 1.79999 8.99999 1.79999C10.9102 1.79999 12.7469 2.53468 14.0694 3.9306C15.3918 5.25305 16.2 7.08978 16.2 8.99999C16.2 10.102 16.053 11.2775 15.8326 12.3796C15.8326 12.453 15.7592 12.6 15.7592 12.6735L15.6857 12.9673V13.0408L15.1714 14.1428C15.0979 14.5102 14.8775 14.8041 14.6571 15.0979C14.4367 15.3918 14.1428 15.6122 13.849 15.7592C13.5551 15.9061 13.1877 16.053 12.8204 16.053C12.7469 16.1265 12.6735 16.2 12.5265 16.2ZM3.71019 13.849C3.78366 14.0694 3.85713 14.2163 4.00407 14.4367C4.15101 14.6571 4.29795 14.7306 4.51835 14.8775C4.73876 14.951 4.8857 15.0245 5.10611 15.0979C5.32652 15.0979 5.54693 15.0979 5.76733 15.0245C5.98774 14.951 6.06121 14.8775 6.13468 14.7306C6.20815 14.5837 6.20815 14.4367 6.20815 14.2898L5.17958 10.6898C5.17958 10.6163 5.10611 10.5428 5.10611 10.4694C5.03264 10.4694 4.95917 10.3959 4.8857 10.3224C4.81223 10.3224 4.73876 10.249 4.66529 10.249C4.59182 10.249 4.51836 10.249 4.44489 10.249H4.37142C3.9306 10.3959 3.63672 10.6898 3.41631 11.0571C3.26938 11.351 3.19591 11.7184 3.26938 12.0857C3.34285 12.3061 3.34284 12.5265 3.41631 12.6735L3.71019 13.849ZM13.2612 10.3224C13.1877 10.3224 13.1877 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224C13.1143 10.3224 13.0408 10.3224 12.9673 10.3959C12.8939 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694 12.8204 10.4694C12.7469 10.5428 12.7469 10.6163 12.7469 10.6898L11.7184 14.2898C11.6449 14.4367 11.7184 14.5837 11.7918 14.7306C11.8653 14.8775 12.0122 14.951 12.0857 15.0245C12.3796 15.0979 12.5265 15.0979 12.7469 15.0979C12.9673 15.0979 13.1877 15.0245 13.3347 14.8775C13.5551 14.8041 13.702 14.6571 13.849 14.4367C13.9959 14.2898 14.0694 14.0694 14.1428 13.849L14.5102 12.6735C14.5837 12.5265 14.5837 12.3061 14.6571 12.1592C14.7306 11.7918 14.6571 11.4245 14.5102 11.1306C14.2898 10.7633 13.9959 10.4694 13.5551 10.3224H13.4816C13.3347 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224 13.2612 10.3224Z\" fill=\"currentColor\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"hidden sm:inline\">Listen<\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><img fetchpriority=\"high\" alt=\"Red and green colors from the Aurora Borealis glow above a lake.\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2263858554.jpg\" data-loaded=\"true\" fetchpriority=\"high\" loading=\"eager\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1350\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2263858554.jpg?auto=webp&amp;width=3840&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover 1x\" bad-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/GettyImages-2263858554.jpg?auto=webp&amp;width=3840&amp;quality=75&amp;fit=cover\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"fp-leadCaption py-tight text-left font-utility text-utility3-size leading-utility3-line-height text-secondary\">\nRed and green colors from the Aurora Borealis glow above a lake.<!-- --> (Photo: Getty)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-body\">\n<p>Published July 31, 2026 03:33PM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Skywatchers could have the opportunity to spot the northern lights across North America tonight through August 2, according to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration\u2019s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center.<\/p>\n<p>The northern lights are most commonly seen in fall and winter, but you might be able to spot them now. <i>Outside <\/i>talked to Rob Steenburgh, a space scientist at NOAA\u2019s Space Weather Prediction Center, to better understand what to expect from the aurora forecast this weekend<\/p>\n<p>The northern lights, or aurora borealis, happen when charged solar particles enter Earth\u2019s atmosphere. As they interact with oxygen and nitrogen, they release energy in the form of colorful light.<\/p>\n<p>Current reports indicate that the lights could be visible across the northern tier of the United States and much of Canada.<\/p>\n<h2><b>U.S. States That Could See Northern Lights This Weekend<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>Based on the latest NOAA aurora forecast map, these are the U.S. states that appear fully or partially above the aurora view line:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Alaska<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Washington<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Idaho<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Montana<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">North Dakota<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Minnesota<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Wisconsin<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight:400\" aria-level=\"1\">Michigan<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>What\u2019s Driving This Northern Lights Forecast<\/h2>\n<p>The northern lights can most typically be seen between late August and early April between 60 and 75 degrees latitude. But on occasion, they appear outside of that time frame and region. Current forecasts are calling for a maximum Kp index of 5.67 on August 2, making it likely that parts of North America will see the northern lights.<\/p>\n<p>Rob Steenburgh tells <i>Outside, <\/i>\u201cThe G2 forecast is in response to an eruption from the sun yesterday that\u2019s heading to Earth, and another anticipated solar feature called a \u2018coronal hole,\u2019 which brings fast solar wind.\u00a0 The eruption (coronal mass ejection or CME) and coronal hole are both indicators of future activity.\u201d Typically, solar wind features drive the aurora forecast.<\/p>\n<p>We passed the solar maximum in 2024\u2014or the peak years of the 11-year solar cycle\u2014which means geomagnetic storms will occur, but with less frequency according to Steenburgh. In general, G2 forecasts are relatively common, occurring about 600 times over the course of an 11-year cycle.<\/p>\n<h2>Tips for Watching the Northern Lights<\/h2>\n<p>Catching a glimpse of the northern lights takes a little bit of luck, and plenty of preparation. Stephanie Vermillion, <i>Outside\u2019s <\/i>astrotourism columnist, recommends preparing for aurora views by monitoring the current forecast, traveling to the darkest skies possible, and spending three to four hours watching the skies. In the U.S., the lights will be most visible across the horizon instead of overhead. Higher latitudes typically experience better views of the aurora due to their proximity to the North Pole.<\/p>\n<p>Steenburgh said you should look for a cloud-free sky with minimal light pollution. Ideally, low moon illumination would help to maximize the viewing experience, but the moon is almost full at the moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese are many of the variables that can affect your ability to spot the aurora,\u201d he explained. \u201cIt\u2019s important to know that geomagnetic storm forecasts are very coarse, meaning the timing and intensity can vary greatly, i.e. it can arrive earlier or later and be of greater or lesser strength.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>How to Capture the Lights on Your Phone<\/h2>\n<p>At times, the aurora appear invisible to the human eye, but phones and cameras can still pick up the phenomenon. In fact, northern lights often look better on your phone camera. Skywatchers who want to snap the perfect photo on their phone can prepare for the northern lights by setting up a tripod, choosing a dark-sky viewing location, and familiarizing themselves with their phone\u2019s camera settings. Most photographers find that the default 1x \u201cphoto\u201d setting delivers the best night sky photos, but make sure that night mode is engaged before snapping your photos.<\/p>\n<p>As the days grow darker, there could be more opportunities to view the northern lights this fall, according to Steenburgh.<\/p>\n<p>Those who are hoping to catch a glimpse of the northern lights can monitor NOAA\u2019s 30-minute aurora forecast, which offers real-time updates on auroral activity throughout the night. My Aurora Forecast &amp; Alerts, Aurora Alerts, and Space Weather Live can also help you to stay current with the latest aurora forecast.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><span hidden=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.outsideonline.com\/adventure-travel\/news-analysis\/northern-lights-forecast-tonight\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The latest aurora borealis forecast is calling for displays across much of Canada and parts of the northern U.S. states on Friday, July 31, through Sunday, Aug. 2. Listen to this articleListen Red and green colors from the Aurora Borealis glow above a lake. (Photo: Getty) Published July 31, 2026 03:33PM Skywatchers could have the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"tmauthors":[],"class_list":["post-783","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-adventure-travel","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=783"},{"taxonomy":"tmauthors","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/replyguru.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftmauthors&post=783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}