Los Angeles, CA – Californians may get a rare glimpse of the Northern Lights tonight before the arrival of a powerful atmospheric river system later this week. The ongoing solar storm, one of the strongest in recent years, continues to extend auroral visibility unusually far south — including potential sightings across parts of northern and central California under clear early-evening skies.
According to the NOAA Weather Prediction Center, skies will start clear across much of the state this evening before clouds and rain spread in from the Pacific late tonight and into Thursday. The best chance to see the aurora will be early — around sunset through 10 p.m. — in areas north of the Bay Area, the Sierra foothills, and along the Central Valley before clouds increase overnight.
Meanwhile, a slow-moving atmospheric river is expected to bring heavy rain and flash flooding risks Thursday through Saturday. The system will first impact the Sacramento Valley and Sierra Nevada, then drift south toward Los Angeles and San Diego by the weekend. Some areas could see 1–3 inches of rain, with locally higher totals in mountainous terrain.
If you plan to look for the aurora, find a dark spot away from city lights and look north. After tonight, increasing clouds and rain will make sky conditions much less favorable for viewing.
