Aurora borealis could be seen as far South as Alabama tonight: What to know

Northern lights may be visible Sunday across U.S.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a "severe" geomagnetic storm watch for Sunday into Monday. As a result of the storm, the Northern lights may be visible across the United States Sunday night, with states as south as Alabama and southern California being able to views the colorful phenomenon. Rob Steenburgh, science and operations officer at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, joins LiveNOW's Austin Westfall to break down what a geomagnetic storm is, why it's labeled "severe," and what the public can expect to experience.

A strong geomagnetic storm could set the stage for rare northern lights displays as far south as Alabama and California overnight Sunday into Monday morning. 

According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, a powerful burst erupted from the sun Friday night, triggering a "severe" geomagnetic storm watch. 

Aurora geomagnetic storm forecast

What we know:

The geomagnetic storm is rated G4, so it’s not as severe as the G5 storm that led to stunning displays across the southern U.S. on May 10 – yet. Northern lights were seen as far south as Texas early Sunday morning, and the conditions are expected to continue Sunday night, FOX Weather reports. 

The Northern Lights seen from Piedmont, South Dakota on Sunday, June 1, 2025 during a severe geomagnetic storm. (NWS Rapid City, SD / NOAA)

FOX Weather says the cloud-cover forecast is favorable across much of the U.S, including the South, though the lights will likely be the brightest in northern states like Washington and Michigan. The Midwest and Mid-Atlantic could also be good places to see the aurora, but the desert Southwest and the Northeast are expected to be cloudy. 

The cloud cover forecast for aurora viewers Sunday night.(FOX Weather)

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What we don't know:

There’s a chance the storm could reach level G5, which could lead to even more aurora visibility, but whether that happens remains to be seen. 

What you can do:

You can follow the Space Weather Prediction Center for updates on storm levels and predictions for the aurora borealis. 

What are geomagnetic storms? 

The backstory:

The sun’s intense magnetic energy is the source of solar flares and eruptions of plasma known as coronal mass ejections. When directed toward Earth, they can create stunning auroras but also disrupt power and communications.

Galileo was among the first astronomers to turn a telescope skyward and study sunspots, back in the early 1600s. Solar flares and coronal mass ejections tend to occur near sunspots, dark patches as big as Earth that are located near the most intense portions of the sun’s shifting magnetic field.

Northern lights lovers get engaged under beautiful sky

A Canadian couple got engaged under a beautiful Northern Lights display on Oct. 10, 2024. Credit: Justin Anderson via Storyful

A solar cycle is a sequence the sun’s magnetic field goes through every 11 years, when the field flips. Geomagnetic storms could become more frequent over the next year as the sun begins to move into the solar maximum phase of its 11-year cycle.

How geomagnetic storms impact the power grid

Dig deeper:

Northern lights have no impact on human health, but they can potentially cause problems with voltage control, the power grid, low-Earth orbit satellites and high-frequency radio signals, according to FOX Weather.