Northern Lights May Be Visible as Far South as Alabama

The New York Times ^ | June 1, 2025Updated 2:46 p.m. ET | Amy Graff

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Streaks of colorful light could paint the sky over a large portion of the country on Sunday night into Monday morning amid a severe geomagnetic storm.

A geomagnetic storm is expected to set skies aglow in the northern part of the United States on Sunday night into early Monday morning, with the northern lights potentially visible as far south as Alabama to Northern California, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The geomagnetic storm reached severe strength early Sunday morning. Though it was not expected to be as intense as the one in May 2024 that flooded skies around the world with light, Shawn Dahl, service coordinator for the Space Weather Prediction Center, said Sunday will be a great night to view the lights where skies are clear.

“Monday night would be another night to look out, especially in the more northern locations,” Mr. Dahl said. “But for those who are eager to see the aurora, where they usually don’t get to see it, the best chance would be Sunday night.”

The lights are expected to be most vivid in the northernmost states, such as Michigan and Washington State. They may also be visible on the horizon in the middle latitudes, from Oregon and Northern California across the country into the Mid-Atlantic, and down into the South.

Places with the best potential for clear skies on Sunday night include much of the Pacific Northwest, particularly earlier in the night, as well as a good chunk of Northern California.

The central Plains into the Ohio Valley, across most of the Midwest and also the Mid-Atlantic could provide good viewing opportunities.

New York City “isn’t looking great” as a place to...

[cva66snipe]

From the cremation of Sam Magee, one of my favorite Robert Service poems. My favorite being “The Three Bares”.

When I was 16 my dad got a camper cover for his pick up truck and built three bunks in it for a trip to Alaska from the Knoxville, TN area and back. Almost a month long trip living out of the camper and a motel room about every third-fourth day.

We went through Dawson City and saw cabins where Service lived and Jack London. We made it to Fairbanks and stated heading back. I got to see Lake LA barge {government sign naming it such} old gold dredges, Mt McKinley, Anchorage, and back home to Tennessee. Three years later I would be "seeing the world" as they called it starting with a trip down to Rio and back, to the Med Sea and back twice six plus months each. Then after that managed to see every state but Hawaii & Maine.

I remember in Alaska waking up and seeing a moose about 50 ft from the truck. This was in June so it didn't get dark.

[Bikkuri]

I saw them as far south as Dallas once. I think it was around 1985, or so.

[Peter ODonnell]

Very good display at 0200 PDT near BC-WA border, flared in past hour.

[trebb]

To the north - and after dark....???

[Paul R.]

Great memories, Eh?

The summer I was SIX, my Dad piled us 3 boys (I was oldest), Mom, himself (of course!), and as much gear as would fit into our big ol’ Chevy station wagon, and we headed out from Eastern Kansas to take a 3 week trip to CA, then up through the redwoods and then along the coast into B.C., then to Saskatchewan, then down through the Black Hills / Dakotas, and back home to Kansas.

Mostly we camped, but we did stay at a couple friends of Dad’s, and maybe 3-4 motels too.

I’ve forgotten many parts of it, but still have some great memories, reinforced through my childhood by all the slides (photos) my Dad took and would replay now and then when other family friends or relatives visited... :-)

[cva66snipe]

Some of my dads uncles on his fathers side {granddads brothers} were from Cowley County, KS. My granddad lived in Oklahoma and moved to Knoxville, TN back in the early 1920's where my grandmother was from. She had moved to Oklahoma to live with her sister a few years. They moved to Knoxville before the Dust Bowl hit.

The year before we went to Alaska we went north up into Ontario and crossed Canada to British Columbia and down along the coast. Got to see Banff and Jasper and a side trip into Yellowstone visiting family in Wyoming. We stayed out of Cali though. I went there later in the early 1980's driving an 18 wheeler into LA.

I took a vacation in 2019 out west & went through Black Hills then Yellowstone. It was early June and Nebraska and Dakotas were already and oven LOL

[Vigilanteman]

Because, in 20-20 hindsight, my question wasn’t phrased very well and you two were having too much fun just piling on. ;->

[minnesota_bound]

I saw nothing on Sunday to Monday period here near Los Angeles.