Severe Geomagnetic Storm Expected Wednesday; Northern Lights May Be Visible Across Parts of the U.S.
The above video was captured from 7:30 to 10 pm on November 11, 2025, in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, and shows the first night of the Severe Geomagnetic Storm mentioned in the article below.
Published: November 11, 2025 | Updated: November 12, 2025 at 10:20am.
MINNESOTA - The Space Weather Prediction Center, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has issued a Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch (G4) for Wednesday, November 12, as a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun is expected to reach Earth. The storm could bring widespread aurora displays across the northern United States, possibly visible as far south as Alabama and northern California. It may also cause temporary disruptions to satellite communications, power systems, and navigation signals.
What’s Happening
A coronal mass ejection (CME) is a massive burst of solar material and magnetic fields ejected from the Sun. When a CME collides with Earth’s magnetic field, it can trigger a geomagnetic storm, which is a space-weather event that disturbs the planet’s magnetosphere.
The Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) in Boulder, Colorado, reports that this incoming CME follows a series of solar eruptions between November 9 and early November 12, including one linked to a powerful X5.1 solar flare detected at 5:04 a.m. EST on November 11. The latest CME is the fastest and most energetic in the sequence and has already produced a moderate (S2) solar-radiation storm.
When It Will Arrive
Forecasters expect the CME to partially impact Earth around midday Wednesday, November 12. Exact timing will become clearer once the solar material is detected by space-weather observatories about 1 million miles from Earth shortly before arrival.
NOAA says confidence is high that at least part of the CME will strike Earth, with potential for G4 (Severe) geomagnetic-storm levels depending on how the solar magnetic field interacts with Earth’s.
What a G4 (Severe) Storm Means
According to NOAA’s Geomagnetic Storm Scale, a G4 (Severe) event can cause:
Power systems: Possible widespread voltage-control problems; some protective systems may mistakenly trip offline.
Spacecraft operations: Surface charging and tracking issues may occur, requiring adjustments to orientation or orbit controls.
Navigation and radio: High-frequency radio may fade or become intermittent; satellite navigation could be degraded for several hours.
Aurora: Northern Lights could appear at mid-latitude locations, potentially reaching as far south as Illinois, Oregon, northern California, and Alabama.
G4 storms are uncommon; NOAA estimates they occur roughly 100 times during each 11-year solar cycle, or about once every 2 months during active solar periods.
Aurora Forecast and Viewing Windows (Nov 11 – 13, 2025)
NOAA’s Kp-index forecast (a scale of geomagnetic intensity from 0–9) is one of a few tools used to indicate the best potential Northern Lights activity will occur over the next few days. Generally speaking, a Kp-index of 3.0 or higher tends to favor one’s ability to see the Northern Lights across the Midwest, but other factors do come into play.
Below is a chart showing when conditions are predicted to be most favorable for visible auroras in the Upper Midwest, based solely on a Kp index of 3.0 or higher from tonight (Tuesday night) through Friday, November 13th. These values and times are subject to change:
| Date | Peak Kp Index & Level | Approx. Local Time (CST) | Expected Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue Nov 11 → Wed AM Nov 12 | Kp 5–6 (G2 Moderate) | 9 PM – Midnight Wed | Minor to moderate aurora possible late Tuesday night into early Wednesday; best chance after 9 p.m. for northern Minnesota and the Dakotas. |
| Wed Nov 12 → Thu AM Nov 13 | Kp 7–8 (G3–G4 Strong–Severe) | Midnight Wed to 6 a.m. and again Sunset to Midnight Thu | Highest aurora potential. Activity peaks Wednesday evening through the overnight hours, with possible visibility across most of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and northern Iowa — even into the Twin Cities metro. |
| Thu Nov 13 → Fri AM Nov 14 | Kp 6 (G2 Moderate) from | Midnight Thu to 6 a.m. and again lingering into Thu evening/early Fri morning | Aurora activity remains elevated early Thursday morning before gradually subsiding by midday. Northern states may still see visible displays under clear skies. |
(Conversion: UTC – 6 hours = Central Standard Time.)
What About Clouds?
Clouds are gradually decreasing across parts of northeastern Minnesota this evening (Tuesday evening), while the rest of the state remains mostly clear. Some broken clouds could work in from the west late tonight into early tomorrow morning (Wednesday) across west-central to southern Minnesota. Basically, along the I-94 corridor and points south is roughly where that cloud threat would be. These could be scattered to overcast in nature.
Tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday), a system will slowly work into the region from the west, likely bringing overcast to broken skies across parts of central and southern Minnesota. There is a chance that the clouds will break up or decrease in coverage by late evening Wednesday into the early morning hours on Thursday. By late Thursday into Friday morning, the north half of the state is expected to be broken clouds, while the central and southern parts are expected to be cloud-free.
This is subject to change, though, so be sure to keep checking your latest and local weather!
Sky Watch Tips - How to See and Photograph the Aurora
Find dark skies:
Avoid city lights. Try to drive outside and north of the metro areas to avoid light pollution.
Camera settings (for phones & DSLRs):
Use night mode or manual exposure with ISO 800–1600.
Set a 10–20 second exposure and steady your camera on a tripod or flat surface.
Focus manually on a distant light or star for sharp images.
Watch for color changes:
Auroras may appear grayish or white to the naked eye but glow green, purple, or red on long exposures.
Pro tip:
Even if clouds move in, check occasionally; breaks in the overcast can reveal bright displays for a few minutes at a time. We’ve also seen the lights glow through thin cloud decks on rare occasions.
What to Expect and How to Prepare
While severe geomagnetic storms can affect power grids, GPS accuracy, and satellite communications, NOAA emphasizes that mitigation systems are in place to minimize risk. Most people will not experience direct impacts, aside from potentially spectacular sky displays.
Stay updated with the latest forecasts and space-weather alerts at spaceweather.gov. Even short breaks in cloud cover could reveal dancing ribbons of light across the northern horizon.
Summary of Watches in Effect
Nov 11: G2 (Moderate)
Nov 12: G4 (Severe) — Highest risk day
Nov 13: G3 (Strong)
This is the fourth G4 Watch of the current solar cycle, a reminder that the Sun is nearing its solar maximum, when strong space-weather events become more frequent.
