Northern lights may be visible in Indiana
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A rare opportunity will present itself Friday night for Hoosiers. The Space Weather Prediction Center is forecasting a G4 (severe) Geomagnetic Storm. This is the first time a G4 (Severe) geomagnetic watch has been issued since 2005.
Below is the current forecast for the northern lights Friday night going into early Saturday morning:
The KP index is a measure of the magnitude of geomagnetic storms. This scale runs from 0 to 9, with the higher number being a stronger indication of a storm. Our peak KP the SWPC is forecasting for Friday night is 8, which would have them lower on the horizon in Indiana.
In April 2023, many Hoosiers were able to see the northern lights (even with the naked eye) when the KP also peaked near 8.
Don’t expect green lights to be very vibrant directly overhead. Usually with the northern lights this far south in Indiana, they would be somewhat dim and low on the north horizon.
Our forecast will be calling for skies that begin mostly clear through sunset. However, we’ll turn partly cloudy after midnight. This will precede the chance for some showers in the middle of the overnight hours, mainly after 2-3 a.m. EDT Saturday morning.
