Northern Lights Could Dazzle Minnesota Tuesday Night

MINNESOTA — Most Minnesotans have a good chance to see the ethereal curtains of the northern lights Tuesday night, assuming the weather cooperates.

The aurora borealis view line will dip down to southern Minnesota and other parts of the upper Midwest, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The best times to see auroras are between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., according to NOAA. Drive out of the city for the best viewing opportunities.

"Aurora can often be observed somewhere on Earth from just after sunset or just before sunrise. The aurora is not visible during daylight hours," the agency states.

"The aurora does not need to be directly overhead but can be observed from as much as a 1000 km away when the aurora is bright and if conditions are right."

Tuesday night is expected to feature clear skies above the Twin Cities metro area, according to the National Weather Service.

Wednesday night will feature chances to see the northern lights as well, but the view line will be further north:

Aurora forecasts are notoriously tricky and can quickly change. The Space Weather Prediction Center, which updates its aurora forecasts every 30 minutes, is expected to release its own forecast as July 13 gets closer.

This is a particularly active time for the solar storms that produce the northern lights. We’re approaching the expected 2025 peak — called “solar maximum” — of an 11-year solar cycle in which the sun’s magnetic fields flip polarity.

Until 2025, the auroral oval — the area on Earth where the lights are visible — will continue to widen, increasing the chances that the northern lights will dance at lower altitudes.

Last April, people who don’t often see the auroras were surprised by jaw-dropping northern lights displays in more than two dozen states, some as far south as Florida.