Kansas City area could see northern lights amid ‘very rare’ geomagnetic storm

Skywatchers in the Kansas City area could be in for a rare heavenly treat this Mother’s Day weekend as heightened solar activity could make the northern lights visible on the horizon.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, has been tracking a series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that began on May 8.

Space weather forecasters have bumped up Friday evening’s geomagnetic storm watch to a “very rare” G4 or severe level, the second highest on the scale.

While geomagnetic storms can disrupt communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations, the storms can also trigger spectacular displays of the aurora borealis over much of the northern half of the country, the Space Weather Prediction Center said in a news release.

Severe geomagnetic storms could trigger auroras seen as far south as Alabama and northern California.

Who has best chance of seeing northern lights?

As of Friday morning, the aurora forecast shows Canada and Alaska have the best chance of seeing the northern lights. Northern parts of the continental United States, including northern portions of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and most of North Dakota, are highly likely to see the aurora if weather permits.

The aurora, however, doesn’t need to be directly overhead to be seen. It can be observed from more than 600 miles away when the aurora is bright, and if conditions are right, the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

Because of that, Kansas City is close to a view line on the aurora forecast map for Friday night. The view line retreats into northern Iowa on Saturday night, according to the latest forecast.

The aurora can only be seen at night and away from city lights. It will likely be visible low on the northern horizon overnight in the Kansas City area.

The best time to view auroras is typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., the Space Weather Prediction Center said. They may be seen earlier but are not as active and visually appealing.

The Missouri Division of Tourism says on its website that people don’t have to travel far from the state’s biggest cities to find stargazing opportunities.

Dark sky locations within an hour north of Kansas City include Big Lake State Park, Weston Bend State Park and Lewis and Clark State Park, all of which have campgrounds.

More information about the darkest spots in Missouri can be found on the International Dark-Sky Association — Missouri Chapter website.