Re: What states can see the Northern Lights in the North West and when?

The Northern/Southern lights (aka aurora) can be seen just about anywhere on the planet. However, the probability of seeing a display drops significantly the further you get away from 67 degrees N or S, approximately. More specifically auroras are most common on a loop which is fortunately a little more south for us in North America than in Europe and Asia.

From your location you can see the aurora about once every hundred nights. The probability is higher for this, the next year and 2001 because the sun is close to maximum activity (an 11 year cycle). At solar minimum the probability is lower. If you are outside often you might see one or two good displays in the next few years. If you see an aurora, it will likely be a wonderful display because the solar activity must be very high for you to see one at all. High solar activity (lots of particles in the solar wind) causes high geomagnetic activity (activity in the magnetic field of the Earth) which in turn causes a good display of an aurora.

Listed below are several webpages with information on aurora including FAQs and forecasts. In the forecasts you will be looking for major activity and are referred to as geomagnetic forecasts. On the last link, you can sign up for email notification of when geomagnetic activity is on the rise. This will increase the probablity of seeing an aurora on a night you look for it.

Aurora Page http://www.geo.mtu.edu/weather/aurora/

The Aurora: Information & Images (has a forecast and a good FAQ) http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/~pfrr/AURORA/INDEX.HTM

Today's Space Weather (forecast) http://www.sel.noaa.gov/today.html

POES Aurora Activity http://sec.noaa.gov/pmap/index.html

Current geomagnetic conditions: http://www.ips.gov.au/asfc/current/geomagnetic.html

Sign up for geomagnetic warnings: http://www.ips.gov.au/mail-lists/index.html#rwc