‘Strong’ Northern Lights Alert For 20 States On Monday As CME Strikes

The northern lights may be visible overnight from up to 20 northern U.S. states on Monday, June 8, through Tuesday, June 9, according to NOAA. A 'strong' northern lights alert has been issued for 20 states as a coronal mass ejection (CME) strikes Earth's magnetic field, potentially triggering a G3 (strong) geomagnetic storm that could bring the aurora borealis as far south as Iowa, Oregon, and New York. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, is tracking a CME that erupted from the sun on June 6 and is expected to arrive Monday afternoon. This northern lights alert is the first of its kind for June, a month when auroras are typically rarer due to shorter nights and brighter twilight. The alert covers states from Washington to Maine, including Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The key driver is a Kp index of 7 on the 9-point scale, which indicates intense geomagnetic activity. The best viewing window is between 11 p.m. local time Monday and 2 a.m. Tuesday, away from city lights. Unlike the historic May 2024 solar storm that brought auroras to the Gulf Coast, this event is more moderate but still capable of producing vivid displays. Axios-style analysis: This northern lights alert underscores the increasing frequency of space weather events as the sun approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. Solar Cycle 25, which began in 2019, has already produced several G4 storms, and forecasters warn that 2025–2026 could see more CMEs aimed at Earth. For residents of the northern US, this is a rare opportunity to witness the aurora without traveling to Alaska or Canada. Looking ahead, the CME's impact may persist into Tuesday night, and NOAA will update its alert level based on observations from the Deep Space Climate Observatory. Skywatchers should monitor local cloud cover forecasts and use aurora alert apps for real-time notifications. This event is a reminder that our sun is anything but quiet this decade.