Geomagnetic storm may make Northern Lights visible in U.S. Monday, Tuesday
Joe Fisher
Tue, January 20, 2026 at 12:49 AM UTC
1 min read
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Jan. 19 (UPI) -- A geomagnetic storm that occurred on Sunday may make the Northern Lights visible on Monday or Tuesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says.
The NOAA has placed a severe geomagnetic storm watch in effect for Tuesday as the effects of Sunday's coronal mass ejection is set to reach Earth.
A coronal mass ejection is a burst of solar material and magnetic field from the sun's outer atmosphere. The event creates conditions that may make the Northern Lights visible as far south as Alabama and California, further south than they can usually be seen.
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The solar flare may reach Earth as early as Monday night. The conditions that make the Northern Lights visible will likely weaken later in the day on Tuesday, NOAA says. Minor geomagnetic storm related effects may still be present on Wednesday.
"Forecasters have a fair measure of confidence in timing and of CME arrival at Earth," NOAA said.
The visibility of the Northern Lights will depend on a few factors, including local cloud cover and how the solar flare interacts with Earth's upper atmosphere.
Sunday's geomagnetic storm was given a G4 rating, the second highest rating possible. Storms of this rating can cause satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems.