TOLEDO, Ohio — Friday night’s spectacular light show caught many people by surprise. Unlike last month’s total solar eclipse, many people weren’t aware that the northern lights would even be visible in northwest Ohio... until they were.
On Saturday, many people woke up to pictures on social media of the night sky painted in fabulous hues of green and pink. The question now of course is, will we get another chance to see them on Saturday night?
WTOL 11 Meteorologist John Burchfield says the strong geomagnetic storm that produces the lights will continue Saturday night, but don't be surprised if they aren't as vivid as what happened on Friday.
The best chance to see them would be to the north and west of Toledo as there will be a greater risk of lingering clouds east of the city.
As of 7 p.m. cloud cover is still pretty thick post cold front, but skies will clear out from west to east this evening.
Of course, the chances of seeing the northern lights goes up the less man-made lights there are around you on the ground.
The best time to see the lights will be after 10:30 p.m.
If you are able to stay up very late or get up early in the morning, you may have a better chance of seeing the northern lights between the hours of 4 - 6 a.m. Peak geomagnetic activity is expected to occur late Saturday night through daybreak Sunday.
It's unlikely the aurora will be as vibrant as Friday given the latest forecast trends, but there is still a decent chance it will be visible to the naked eye.
Per the Space Weather Prediction Center, as of 8 p.m., the Kp index is still at a 7 , representative of strong geomagnetic activity. Friday evening was at a 9, which is indicative of the most extreme geomagnetic activity.
This still bodes well for many Michiganders and some Ohioans seeing the aurora!
PHOTOS: Northern Lights over northwest Ohio
Aurora forecast - as of 2 p.m. on Saturday:
Current levels remain EXTREME, at 8.67 out of 9. Unfortunately, it is daylight now, so there is no active viewing until after dark. Here is what is ahead and the potential timing for best viewing.
Saturday Night: Level 7 out of 9 (Kp Index) - STRONG Geomagnetic Storm
Sunday Night: Level 7 out of 9 (Kp Index) - STRONG Geomagnetic Storm
For reference, Friday night was an Extreme G5 storm with a level 9 out of 9.
TIMING: It's very possible again to see auroras on Saturday night just after dark 10 p.m. thru 2 a.m.
The data shows additional spikes (Kp 7) before sunrise Sunday too. It would be very unlikely to live up to Friday nights near once in a lifetime Northern Lights event, but views are still possible Saturday night and Sunday night.
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