If smoke clears, massive solar storm could bring stunning northern lights to Minnesota

If smoke clears, massive solar storm could bring stunning northern lights to Minnesota originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
Will the wildfire smoke clear enough for Minnesotans to get a view of the northern lights this weekend? So long as the smoke doesn't dull the view too much, there could be a vibrant, overhead display of the aurora borealis Sunday night.
The chance for overhead northern lights is the result of a very strong, Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun. Saturday night will essentially be the opening act before the main event Sunday night into Monday morning.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a G4 geomagnetic storm watch for Monday, June 2. The G-scale goes from 1-5, and a G4 storm would be severe. NOAA isn't ruling out potential for G5 storm conditions.
The last G5 solar storm happened May 10, 2024. It was the first G5 solar storm in two decades, so reaching that level in consecutive years would be considered uncommon.
"A powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) erupted from the Sun the evening of 30 May," the SWPC says. "The CME is anticipated to arrive at Earth later on Sunday, 1 June. The CME arrival will likely lead to immediate geomagnetic disturbances with the potential for G3 (Strong) levels, and a chance for G4.
"Conditions will likely intensify as CME progression continues and G4 levels become more possible on Monday, 2 June. Geomagnetic storm levels will likely begin subsiding by Tuesday, 3 June, with G1-G2 (Minor-Moderate) still possible."
Minnesota is in a perfect position for overhead auroras, but the smoke will be key to how much visibility there is. All of Minnesota is in an air quality alert due to smoke from Canadian wildfires flowing through the sky, and some of the smoke will reach near the surface.
Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard says skies will be clear in Minnesota Sunday night at the peak of the solar storm, but "it's wait and see" for how the smoke will behave.
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.

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