Aurora Borealis: Best Chances Of Northern Lights In WI

WISCONSIN — Northern lights from a powerful solar flare whipping across Earth are expected to be visible in northern parts of Wisconsin Thursday.

The aurora borealis effect leaving lacy curtain-like lights across up north skies are the result of an explosion on the sun's surface Saturday, the Space Weather Prediction Center said.

A map of states where the auroras may be visible shows the lingering effects can be seen in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

See Also: Aurora Borealis Map: Northern Lights May Dance In Several States

So where are the best places in Wisconsin to see the northern lights? Travel website Van Life Wanderer offered some recommendations.

• The Apostle Islands
• The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest
• Big Bay State Park
• Potawatomi State Park in Sturgeon Bay
• Newport State Park
• Ashland County
• Bayfield County

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said they had "fair" confidence that the coronal mass ejection — the explosion that will bring the lights, shortened to CME — would reach earth Wednesday. Predictions of how intense or the arrival time of the CME had "lower levels of confidence."

Forecasters expect a G1 storm, a weak solar storm, to reach Earth Thursday. A G2 storm wouldn't disrupt power grids or knock out satellites.

Washington State, Idaho, Montana, the Dakotas and the New England states may have a chance to see lights too, forecasters said.