Northern lights could shine over CT tonight. Forecast, maps, how to photograph

Katie Landeck, USA TODAY NETWORK - New England

Mon, January 19, 2026 at 8:43 PM UTC

3 min read

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

Get ready to bundle up. Connecticut residents have a very good chance of seeing the northern lights tonight, if the clouds cooperate.

"Aurora may be seen as low as Alabama and northern California," NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said.

The prediction center issued a severe watch of G4 geomagnetic storm, with a geomagnetic K-index of 8. The scale for a watch goes from G1 to G5.

With a watch of this severity, the storm could impact power systems, spacecraft operations and satellite and radio navigation beyond just creating the northern lights.

In Norwich, the forecast for this evening in partly cloudy skies with a high of just 12 degrees. How those clouds play out will heavily influence what the view may be like.

Map of where Northern lights may be visible tonight

Northern lights may be visible as far south as Alabama on Jan. 19.

In the forecast, the following states have the best chance of seeing on Jan. 19.

Washington
Idaho
Montana
North Dakota
South Dakota
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Michigan
Maine
Alaska

However, the following states are in the view line, which shows where people still may have a chance of seeing the phenomena.

Oregon
Wyoming
Nebraska
Iowa
Missouri
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio
Pennsylvania
New York
Vermont
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Connecticut
Rhode Island

Even when you are in the potential view line for seeing the northern lights, it does not guarantee they will be visible.

The camera view of the northern lights may extend much lower, as some meteorologists have said.

How to take photos of the aurora

The best way to take photos of the northern lights on a smartphone is by adjusting the exposure time and enabling night mode.

According to Travelfoss, to get the best image, you should adjust your iPhone to capture more light. Night mode will automatically turn on, which allows the camera sensor to stay open for 1 to 3 seconds, depending on the light. For the best image of the aurora, you should adjust that setting to its maximum of 10 seconds (or 30 seconds if you're using a tripod).

If there's too much ambient light, night mode might let in too much and overexpose your photos. To combat that, you might need to modify the exposure adjustment setting, per Travelfoss.

When is the best time to see the northern lights?

The northern lights are typically most visible between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. according to NOAA.

These isolated forests in Maine are ‘dark skies sanctuaries:’ See where

How to see the northern lights

As always, dark skies make for better stargazing.

"We typically suggest getting away from cities and find a open field or hilltop to lay out under the stars and wait for the show to really peak at the late evening or early morning hours," Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technical Instructor and Observatory Manager Tim Brothers said in a past interview with Wicked Local.

He continued, "In New England, heading for a local conservation area or park that keeps lighting off at night is ideal. Another option is a coastline away from the larger cities — the benefit being that the constellation where you will see most of the 'shooting stars.'"

Places to check for northern lights forecast

If you want a chance at seeing the Northern Lights, here are some websites you can monitor the sun's activity:

Aurora Alerts

The Space Weather Prediction Center

Space.com

Aurora forecast page (NOAA)

Aurora Reach

USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Northern lights possible over CT. Forecast, map, how to photograph

About Our Ads

Source