North Dakota Could See The Breathtaking Northern Lights

A geomagnetic storm will give North Dakota a a very good chance to see the Northern Lights tonight.

This is according to NOAA and the National Weather Service. In fact, this could be one of the biggest shows of 2025 so far this year. The Northern Lights could be visible as far south as Oklahoma and Tennessee tonight.

It had been a very long time since I was lucky enough to witness the Northern Lights, or the Auroras, as they are officially known, that's until my son and I saw them at our lake cabin in South Dakota last summer.

To be honest, our photos weren't all that spectacular compared to others you frequently see on social media, but it was my son's first time ever seeing them, so that was kind of special.

North Dakota is expected to have a good chance to see the Aurora Borealis TONIGHT, Tuesday, September 2nd, after dark.

We are expected to have G3 or G4 solar storm. According to the NOAA, the optimal viewing time will be tonight between 10 pm and 4 am.

You will want to look to the northern part of the sky, and it's always helpful to get outside of the city lights.

The lights could really put on a show tonight, that's if we get a little cooperation from the Canadian wildfire smoke and Mother Nature, as we do have a chance for showers and thunderstorms with an approaching cold front.

The Northern Lights, or their scientific name, "Aurora Borealis," is a special treat we occasionally get to witness in North Dakota.

Have you ever wondered how this visual spectacle all comes together?  According to Northern Lights Centre, "they are the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere."

What about the different spectacular colors we get to enjoy?  That is due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.

We are getting into a lot of science talk that obviously I should've been paying more attention to back in school.  No matter how it happens, I sure do love it when it does.

As far as the best time to view the Northern Lights in North Dakota tonight again, you shouldn't have to wait long after dark.

Again, that is if the clouds cooperate. According to our staff meteorologists from Severe Weather Studios, you should look for the Aurora Borealis between 10 pm and Midnight tonight.