Eye to the sky: Northern lights expected Friday night
Percent of cloud cover expected by the hour (WDIO).
There is a good chance the northern lights will be visible Friday night into early Saturday morning.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center says a major geomagnetic storm is likely on May 10 to 11. The SWPC provides a forecast for the greatest planetary k (Kp) index expected over three hour intervals.
The aurora borealis may be visible in the Northland when there is a Kp index of 5. Friday night’s forecast calls for a Kp index of 5 before sunset, climbing to 7 between 9 and 10 pm, and peaking near 8 between 11 pm and 4 am.
The aurora will remain active after 4 am, but viewing will cease approaching sunrise. Light pollution can prevent you from seeing the aurora, so try to get away from city lights. Cloud cover can also be a bust for northern lights.
Skies are expected to be mostly clear to partly cloudy Monday night with the thickest cloud cover being over the Canadian border and the South Shore of Lake Superior.
This cloud cover forecast gives the expected percent of sky cover for cities across the Northland. Sky cover of 40% or less is in white indicating favorable conditions for viewing the northern lights. Sky cover expected to be greater than 40% is less favorable and displayed in black text.
The number represents the percentage of cloud cover. The higher the number, the more clouds visible. 75% and greater is mostly cloudy to overcast.