Albany, N.Y. – Clouds may linger over much of New York tonight, but a break in the cover after midnight could offer residents a rare chance to spot the aurora borealis, as a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm sweeps across the Northern Hemisphere.
According to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, the ongoing storm is being driven by a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun. The agency continues its G4 storm watch through tonight, noting a heightened potential for aurora visibility as far south as Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
In New York, areas from the Adirondacks down to the Hudson Valley could get a glimpse of the northern lights if skies clear in time. While much of the state is expected to remain under cloud cover for the first half of the night, the National Weather Service says skies may begin to clear after midnight—especially in northern and central counties.
Skywatchers are advised to head away from city lights and give their eyes time to adjust to the darkness. Use of weather and aurora tracking apps is recommended to time potential viewing windows.
The G4 event is one of the strongest of the year, with auroras already reported in parts of the Midwest and Canada. Updates are expected from NOAA overnight as conditions evolve.
