New York, NY – Residents across the Mid-Atlantic could see a rare celestial display Monday night into Tuesday as the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center issues a G3 (Strong) Geomagnetic Storm Watch.
A coronal mass ejection (CME) launched from the Sun on December 6 is expected to reach Earth early to midday December 9, possibly triggering strong geomagnetic activity and pushing the Northern Lights into areas not typically within viewing range — including parts of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
According to NOAA forecasters, skywatchers in darker rural zones have the best chance to glimpse the aurora if cloud cover remains low. In some cases, faint colors could even be visible on the northern horizon of major metro areas like New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
G3-level geomagnetic storms can cause minor satellite or power grid fluctuations, but NOAA emphasizes such effects are usually limited and short-lived. For the public, the focus is the rare visual — shimmering green, red, or purple bands that may light the sky from late Monday evening into early Tuesday morning.
Residents are encouraged to monitor NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and local forecasts for updated viewing conditions and aurora maps as the event nears.
