Birmingham, AL – Skywatchers across the Deep South may have another rare opportunity to see the Northern Lights tonight, as the ongoing solar storm that illuminated skies nationwide earlier this week continues to produce vivid auroral activity. The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center says G3–G4-level geomagnetic storm conditions remain active, extending the aurora’s reach unusually far south — including parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.
According to the National Weather Service, skies will remain mostly clear this evening, offering a favorable window for viewing before clouds move in late Thursday. The best time to spot the Aurora Borealis will be from 8 p.m. to midnight, facing north and away from city lights.
Residents in northern Alabama, central Mississippi, and east Texas may have the best chance at catching a faint glow or color band along the northern horizon. Smartphone cameras with long-exposure settings can often reveal more color than is visible to the naked eye.
Temperatures tonight will stay mild — in the 50s and 60s, with highs climbing toward the upper 70s to low 80s by Friday as warm, humid air builds in. Clouds and scattered showers return over the weekend as a weak front moves east.
If skies stay clear, tonight could be a once-in-a-lifetime Northern Lights viewing night for the Deep South — a rare and remarkable event for Southern stargazers.
