An Earth-Directed Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) was ejected from the sun on Saturday, August 30, 2025 and is currently forecast to arrive at Earth during the afternoon on September 1, 2025.
A G3 Geomagnetic Storm Watch has been issued by the Space Weather Prediction Center for Monday night. This means there is a good chance that the northern tier of the U.S., including all of Montana, will be able to see the northern lights Monday night, and there is a chance that the northern lights could be visible in central parts of the U.S. as well, including states like Colorado, Utah, Kentucky, and Nebraska.
The best time to see the northern lights Monday night will be based on when the CME arrives.
In order to get the best viewing, make sure you are as far away from city lights as possible and have a clear view of the northern horizon.
Two resources for knowing when the Aurora Borealis might be visible in our area are the Space Weather Prediction Center and Soft Serve News.
Just remember that this is a forecast and not a guarantee as the CME could be weaker than forecasted, completely miss Earth, or arrive at a different time than expected.
We will continue to keep you updated both on air and online regarding our chances to see the northern lights Monday night.
(FEBRUARY 2023) The Aurora Borealis is a mesmerizing display of dancing lights in the sky. What causes this mesmerizing natural phenomenon?
It starts with the sun. The Earth is surrounded by magnetic fields. During solar storms, large masses of charged particles, or protons and electrons, are forced towards the Earth at speeds of 250 to 500 miles per second by the solar wind.
Generally, the particles are directed towards the area with the greatest magnetic activity, the poles. Upon reach the North or South Pole, these particles interact with atmospheric gases, mostly oxygen and nitrogen. The collisions between the two cause heat, which is released in the form of light.
The color visible depends on the height of the collision. Higher altitude oxygen created a red hue, while green hues are indicative of lower altitude oxygen molecules. Pink and blue hues correlate to nitrogen molecules, the most abundant gas in the atmosphere.
In order for the Northern Lights to be visible at mid-latitudes such as Montana, the solar storm needs to be particularly intense. Brightness is directly related to the solar storm's strength. The planetary K index (Kp) is the most accurate scale for geomagnetic activity. The Kp index goes from 1 (dim, visible only near the poles) to 9 (very bright, visible overhead in northern U.S. states). A Kp of 5 is generally seen as the threshold for a solar storm and that is when the Northern Lights are usually visible near the Canadian border.
Prime viewing for the Aurora Borealis is during the wintertime months due to the lack of daylight hours, however it can technically be viewed anytime of the year. A full moon or city lights can prohibit the brightness of the Northern Lights.
