A series of coronal mass ejections could make the northern lights visible over the Chicago area this week, but will Mother Nature cooperate and allow residents to see the spectacle?
According to the latest guidance from the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a geomagnetic storm watch has been issued after at least four CMEs were reported over the weekend.
These storms could reach Earth starting Tuesday morning and last through Thursday, with a G3 storm watch issued for Tuesday.
This level of geomagnetic storm can make the northern lights visible throughout the northeastern United States, upper Midwest, and the rest of the northern United States.
Several factors complicate the situation. CMEs are difficult to predict in terms of arrival times and can impact Earth during the day in the Western Hemisphere, making the spectacle impossible to see from the Chicago area.
More importantly this week, a series of showers and thunderstorms are expected to hit the Chicago area, particularly Tuesday night and Wednesday, which could leave the show completely blocked due to cloud cover.
If the northern lights are visible, Monday night into Tuesday morning could be the best time to see them, and officials recommend traveling to darker locations where the northern horizon is unobstructed.
NBC Chicago
