Northern lights may dazzle parts of Washington this Labor Day weekend. What to know

Parts of Washington may catch a glimpse of the northern lights this Labor Day weekend — that is if cloud cover and smoke from fires don’t ruin the view, Seattle’s National Weather Service meteorologist Mary Butwin told McClatchy News.

The aurora borealis may be active in parts of the U.S. from Sunday, Sept. 4 through Sept. 5, thanks to a minor-moderate geomagnetic storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Butwin said the storm’s peak activity will occur in the afternoon and early evening on Sunday, but that could change.

This doesn’t mean people won’t be able to see the aurora at night, she said.

But clouds are expected in the evening and night in western parts of Washington, Butwin said. Cloud coverage could make it difficult for people to see the northern lights in this area.

Eastern Washington may have more of a view of the aurora borealis, she said. But smoke from fires could also disrupt viewing.

Either way, the best time to view the lights is a few hours after sunset and within a few hours before dawn, she said.

“Middle of the night is your best bet,” she said.

She recommends getting away from light pollution to see them.

The intensity and location of the aurora can be viewed on the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center website.

The geomagnetic storm is a result of a region on the sun exploding, which sends out a solar flare, according to SpaceWeather.com.

Northern lights occur when colliding electrons reach the Earth’s atmosphere.

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