A celestial display of the Northern Lights is expected to illuminate the night sky in more than a dozen northern US states over the next few days. According to NOAA researchers, at least 14 states will see the colorful phenomenon, which is caused by the interaction between Earth’s magnetic field and the Sun’s plasma.
The National Weather Service has informed that the aurora borealis will be visible through Wednesday, August 20, due to a predicted geomagnetic K-index of 5. This index measures how close the Northern Lights are to being visible from major population centers. The K-index ranges from 0 to 9 and indicates brighter activity.
The expected event is ranked as a minor occurrence on the geomagnetic storm scale, with a score of 1. States that can catch a glimpse of the aurora include Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Wyoming, and Alaska.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/weather/2025/08/18/northern-lights-visible-states/85709040007