Will Seattle see the Northern Lights again this weekend?

PREVIOUS VIDEO: FOX 13 viewers capture amazing views of Northern Lights

Many FOX 13 Seattle viewers sent in photos of the Northern Lights just after midnight on Saturday, as western Washington got an amazing view of the spectacle!

SEATTLE - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a geomagnetic storm watch from Friday night into Saturday, meaning that the Northern Lights may be visible to some northern states.

NOAA said the aurora may become visible over some northern states and upper Midwestern states, from New York to Idaho.

Unfortunately, due to a round of showers and cloud cover expected starting Friday, FOX 13 meteorologists predict that we won't be able to see the Northern Lights in our area.

Earlier this month, Washingtonians were wowed with bright purple and green night skies as the Northern Lights danced across the horizon.

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The northern lights fill the sky with green ribbons of electrical charged particles over the barn and pastures at Greaney's Turkey Farm in Mercer, Maine on May 11, 2024.

What is a geomagnetic storm?

For most people, a Geomagnetic Storm Watch is not something to be concerned about. The watches help government agencies, power providers, telecommunication companies and satellite operators prepare to protect systems impacted by space weather.

Geomagnetic storms can produce stronger aurora borealis lights or Northern Lights, which normally occur at the poles, but space weather can cause the lights to expand into the northern edge of the U.S.

Geomagnetic storms could become more frequent over the next year as the sun begins to move into the solar maximum phase of its 11-year cycle.

A solar cycle is a sequence the sun’s magnetic field goes through every 11 years, where the field flips.