Aurora borealis August 2025: Northern lights may be visible in 14 states tonight. Here’s the forecast for where and when

Another reason to love the last weeks of summer: You may be able to see the northern lights tonight and tomorrow night in more than a dozen northern states.

If you missed the recent Perseid meteor shower, don’t fret. This light show is forecast to run Monday, August 18, through Wednesday, August 20, in Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Alaska, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The agency’s three-day forecast is predicting minor (G1) geomagnetic storms (on a scale of G1 to G5). During these storms, a stream of solar wind from a coronal hole on the sun creates the auroras—or swaths of blue, green, and purple in the sky—when it reaches Earth.

When is the best time to see the northern lights?

The aurora borealis is usually best observed after sunset or just before sunrise, away from well-lit areas, per NOAA.

The best time to see this week’s northern lights is between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., according to ABC News, as the moon is expected to rise in the early morning hours, making the sky appear even darker and increasing the chance of seeing swaths of pink and green light.

NOAA predicts increased solar activity will remain high through 2025 and into 2026 as a result of an 11-year sun cycle peaking through October.

You can track the aurora on NOAA’s page, where the agency is providing updates.