Northern lights forecast: Aurora borealis could be visible in Pennsylvania and New Jersey next two nights

UPDATE: Still a slim chance to see aurora borealis in Pa. and N.J. on Thursday night

The northern lights could appear in the skies of Pennsylvania and New Jersey on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

A series of plasma bursts from the sun, known as coronal mass ejections, will cause the aurora borealis to be seen farther south than usual, at least down through New England and the Great Lakes — and, if the events are strong enough, as far as the Lehigh Valley.

“I certainly wouldn’t rule it out,” Bill Murtagh, a program coordinator with the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, told lehighvalleylive.com. The center has issued a G3 watch — the third of five levels of geomagnetic storms — for Wednesday through Friday.

The best opportunity for viewing locally will likely be early Thursday morning and again on Thursday night from places with dark skies and a view to the north.

But don’t expect the dramatic, dancing northern lights you see in photos from far-north places. To us, any aurora will likely appear as a faint green light in the northern sky, Murtagh said.

There are a few caveats in the complicated forecast, however.

First, since it’s not one single event but a series, it is difficult to project exactly how strong the overall storm will be, and when. The stronger it is, the better the chance it can be seen in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. A typical G3 event can cause aurora as far south as Illinois and Oregon, as well as generally minor disruptions to satellite navigation and radio. (The Space Weather Prediction Center’s primary purpose is to protect critical infrastructure like the power grid from cosmic harm — nothing major is currently expected.)

Second, the light of the waning moon could overpower any weak aurora seen from our area. The moon will be out from around 11 p.m. through the dawn both nights.

Third, as always, is the weather itself. This factor, at least, appears to be cooperative. Clouds on Wednesday are expected to clear after midnight and stay away through Thursday night, said Matt Brudy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service regional office in Mount Holly, New Jersey.

If any of these factors spoil your aurora observations, don’t worry. Murtagh, of the Space Weather Prediction Center, said the sun is approaching a period of maximum activity in 2024-25, so there will be an increase of events producing the northern lights for our area over the next few years.

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Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com.