From California to Alabama, much of the United States could see a rare sky spectacle Tuesday night as a massive, powerful solar eruption races toward Earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a Severe Geomagnetic Storm Watch (G4) for Wednesday, November 12, warning of increased solar activity that might cause auroras deep into southern states.
According to NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a coronal mass ejection (CME)—a burst of solar plasma and magnetic energy—was launched from the sun and is projected to reach Earth about lunchtime on Wednesday. The resultant geomagnetic storm might cause northern lights to appear well beyond their regular latitudes, potentially extending throughout much of the northern United States and into the Deep South.
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Officials warn that while temporary disruptions to satellites, GPS, and electricity grids are possible, major problems are unlikely. This is the fourth G4-category storm watch of the current solar cycle, representing an abnormally high level of activity in 2025.
NOAA recommends that residents observe the sky after dark on Tuesday and visit spaceweather.gov for updates and aurora forecasts.
