Chicago, IL – Residents across the Midwest, including Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana, may catch a rare view of the aurora borealis Sunday night into early Monday morning.
A G3 geomagnetic storm triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME) is expected to reach Earth by March 23 UTC, NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center reports. If conditions hold, aurora visibility could stretch as far south as central Illinois and Indiana.
Best viewing is expected between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. in rural areas with clear skies. Cities like Chicago, Des Moines, Omaha, and Indianapolis could experience faint glows if light pollution and clouds are minimal.
While more commonly seen near the Arctic Circle, solar storms like this can extend auroral activity well into the continental U.S. No safety threats are expected, but NOAA notes that GPS and power grid fluctuations are possible in isolated instances.
Midwesterners are encouraged to monitor space weather alerts and head outside Sunday night for a chance to witness this rare natural light show.
