SPOKANE, Wash. — The aurora is back. This weekend offers another chance at seeing the Northern Lights across the northern portion of the United States and that includes the Inland Northwest.
The best chance will be Saturday, so get up early and stay up late for two opportunities to see the atmospheric spectacle. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a strong geomagnetic storm watch for Saturday, Oct. 30, and a moderate watch for Sunday, Oct. 31.
A massive solar flare emitted by the sun Thursday will excite the molecules in Earth’s atmosphere this weekend. Solar flares have a similar classification system as earthquakes, with X-class being the most intense and A-class being the least. The higher the number, the more intense the flare. The X1.0-class flare peaked at 8:35 a.m. PT on Thursday, meaning this will likely be one of the best auroras of the year.
Northern Lights will be visible as far south as Oregon, Iowa and Pennsylvania. That means everyone in the Inland Northwest will have the opportunity to catch the show. To make it even better, the sky will be crystal clear as the aurora peaks, giving the best opportunity for viewing.
Spokane and Coeur d’Alene will have light pollution, making the aurora dimmer to the in-town viewer. Your best bet for a great show is to get away from city lights and find an open field or mountain top with a clear view to the north to see the Northern Lights in their full glory.
Happy viewing!
If you see the Northern Lights this weekend, share your photos with us through the "Near Me" feature on the KREM 2 mobile app.