Another chance to see northern lights in Minnesota Wednesday amid more mild weather
After a stunning northern lights show Tuesday night, Minnesotans could get another chance to spot them on Wednesday, though they won't be as intense, especially around the metro.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday issued a G4, or severe, geomagnetic storm watch. The highest geomagnetic storm level is G5, which is considered extreme. This watch was because of coronal mass ejections from the sun, or huge bubbles of coronal plasma that the sun occasionally ejects, NASA says.
Space weather expert Mike Cook says some reports even came in from as far south as Mexico.
And while there's a chance to see the display again on Wednesday, he says it likely won't be a repeat of Tuesday.
"Expecting a lesser type storm may be the more likely outcome," he said.
Geomagnetic storms can cause disruptions to critical communication infrastructure, but they can also make the aurora more readily visible in parts that don't usually experience the phenomenon. There haven't been any reported issues to the power grid or GPS, but ironically, Blue Origin did have to scrub their launch of a NASA mission that will monitor space weather on Mars.
"We actually have reached G4 levels quite a few times, a handful or two so far this solar cycle," he said. "It's really the G5 level that you don't see that often, which we did hit back in May of 2024."
Aurora displays are also known as the northern and southern lights, because they're most commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's atmosphere.
Cook says we're in an active part of the solar cycle, which means there are even more chances to see the aurora over the next year or two.
Thursday will be mostly sunny and mild, with highs in the 50s. Friday will be the warmest day of the week as highs climb into the 60s.
Saturday will be mild early, then turn cooler late, with a few light showers possible. Sunday's high temps will fall into the 40s, which is still above average for this time of year.
Some rain chances are possible on Monday. As we transition into next week, things turn dry and seasonable, with highs in the 40s and 50s.