Utah could catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights this week

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — There is a slim chance northern Utahns could be treated to a celestial spectacle this week as solar activity increases.

The forecast of the Aurora Borealis from the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute indicates there will be stronger solar activity starting Tuesday morning, April 22, and increasing late the same night.

The best chance to see the Northern Lights will be between 9 p.m. to midnight. While Utah likely won’t be able to see overhead lights easily with the naked eye, there is a chance northern Utahns will be able to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis on the horizon through their cameras.

Utah’s weather should cooperate with the Northern Lights as the Beehive State is expected to see a lull in moisture with clear sunny skies, according to ABC4’s 4Warn Weather Team.

Utahns were able to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis last October. One Cache County resident captured brilliant hues of red and green low on the horizon just west of Logan.

Throughout 2024, Utah was treated to several displays from the Aurora Borealis as solar activity reached a peak in its solar cycle. Shawn Dahl, a space weather forecaster at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center, previously told The Associated Press that there may be more to come as the current solar maximum isn’t likely to start to fade until early 2026.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.