Vibrant northern lights displays may be visible in Metro Vancouver on a few upcoming nights.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm watch from Friday, Aug. 9 through Sunday, Aug. 11. The stormy space weather is caused by a coronal mass ejection from the sun (see slide two).
NOAA says the aurora may become visible over the northern and upper midwestern United States from New York to Idaho.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) calls for highly active auroral displays on Friday overhead from "Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown," and low on the horizon from "Salem, Boise, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Indianapolis and Annapolis" (see slide three).
The high auroral activity means Vancouverites might observe them overhead rather than just low on the horizon.
The university's online aurora monitor map shows what regions the aurora's green glow will likely reach and other areas where it is less likely. Additionally, there is a brief description below the map of the aurora activity on that particular day. You can switch to other days to see the forecast, too.
A second opportunity to view the northern lights in the Metro Vancouver forecast
The UAF calls for the aurora to be highly active again on Saturday, with displays visible overhead "from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto, Montpelier, and Charlottetown" (see slide three).
Locals will be less likely to see the dancing lights downtown. Instead, they should head to the dikes in Richmond, up the Howe Sound, or even more remote areas at UBC that aren't impacted by city lights.
Even areas outside the downtown core, such as Jericho Park, will still experience light pollution from North Vancouver and West Vancouver.
The Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes sunshine and warm temperatures over the next few days. V.I.A.'s Downtown Centre Weatherhood station shows mainly sunshine with some cloudy periods on Friday and Saturday with highs of 26 C and 25 C, respectively.
Skywatchers can also stay up-to-date with hyperlocal forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with V.I.A.'s Weatherhood to plan their aurora viewing experience.
