Severe solar storm to put Northern Lights over Idaho tonight, forecasters say

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idahoans may catch a rare glimpse of a celestial display Monday night as a powerful solar event sends the northern lights further south. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch effective from January 19 through January 21, following a massive eruption of solar material over the weekend.

The disruption was triggered by what scientists call a Coronal Mass Ejection —a burst of solar plasma—that blasted from the sun on January 18. NOAA says this event was accompanied by a "Strong" R3-class solar flare originating near the center of the solar disk.

According to the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center, the resulting radiation storm is the most significant of its kind in over 20 years.

RELATED: Sun releases the largest solar radiation storm ‘in over 20 years,’ forecasters say

“The last time S4 levels were observed was in October 2003,” the SWPC shared on X. “Potential effects are mainly limited to space launch, aviation, and satellite operations.”

While high-level solar activity can cause disruptions to power grids and satellite communications, solar radiation is the cause behind the Northern Lights. Under the current forecast, the aurora may be visible across much of the northern half of the United States, and even as far south as northern California, according to SWPC. The only question is - will residents in southeastern Idaho be able to see the lights, considering the overcast skies in Monday night's forecast?

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