Northern Lights Visible In MA: Will Cloudy Skies Block Viewing?

MASSACHUSETTS — Solar storms beginning Friday could make it possible to see the Northern Lights in Massachusetts overnight into Sunday, but cloudy skies may block views in some parts of the state, according to forecasts.

The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center on Friday issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for the first time since 2005. Five large coronal mass ejections will merge during the event, making the Northern Lights, also called the aurora borealis, viewable much farther south. The possible viewing line extends as far south as Connecticut in New England.

“A coronal mass ejection (CME) is an eruption of solar material. When they arrive at Earth, a geomagnetic storm can result. Watches at this level are very rare,” the space weather prediction center said.

The solar particles released in these storms travel millions of miles an hour, bombarding the Earth's magnetic field. Solar storms have also been known to disrupt the power grid. That type of damage was seen in 2003 during a G5 level solar storm. The storm this weekend is a level G4.

According to forecasts, clouds will move out of skies over Massachusetts overnight Friday, but coastal areas may still see some cover.

"Partial clearing expected overnight in the interior, but more clouds will linger near the coast. Decent radiational cooling may develop in the interior as winds decouple. This may result in lows dropping into the upper 30s in portions of the interior, with low-mid 40s elsewhere," the National Weather Service office in Boston said in a Friday morning forecast.

There may be an even higher chance of seeing the aurora on Saturday night, but clouds could be more widespread over Massachusetts by then, according to forecasts.

Correction: an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the speed of particles produced by CMEs.