‘Strong’ geomagnetic storm could bring northern lights to Washington tonight
Jun 4, 2026, 6:27 PM | Updated: 6:37 pm
The aurora borealis light up the night sky. (Photo: Dan Kitwood, Getty Images)
(Photo: Dan Kitwood, Getty Images)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a G3 “strong” geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday night, with a chance it could reach G4 “severe” levels, meaning northern lights could be visible in Washington.
Washington falls within the green aurora zone on NOAA’s forecast map Thursday night, indicating auroral activity is possible, a notably wider reach than typical forecasts.
The Aurora Forecast for the night of June 4. (Image courtesy of NOAA)
The agency explained periods of G1 to G3 geomagnetic storms are likely on Thursday, with a chance they could reach G4 levels, due to the anticipated arrival of multiple coronal mass ejections that left the sun on June 3.
G4 storms rank near the top of NOAA’s 5‑level geomagnetic scale, and can push the aurora much farther south than normal.
Tips for catching the northern lights
The best chance of seeing the northern lights is outside of the city, away from light pollution.
Timing is also important, as the prime viewing time is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. However, an 82%-lit waning gibbous moon will brighten the sky and could interfere with the aurora, according to Forbes.
Unfortunately, the aurora borealis mostly disappears from Washington on Friday night.
Eager viewers should head as far north as possible, where the likelihood of seeing the celestial phenomenon is much higher.
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