A massive geomagnetic storm could produce the brightest Northern Lights so far this year in North Dakota.

This is according to NOAA and the National Weather Service. I seriously can't remember the last time I was lucky enough to witness the Northern Lights, or the Auroras as they are officially known as.

I'm pretty sure it's close to 10 years or more.  It seems like every recent opportunity to witness this celestial event in the sky, I forget about it, I'm sleeping, or the event doesn't happen at all.

We had a pretty good show this past Saturday evening, October 5th, but I was not lucky enough to see them.  I saw some amazing photos from around the state.  The smoke from the western North Dakota wildfires may have disrupted my show.

That could all change tonight, as North Dakota is expected to see the Aurora Borealis in a big way.

In fact, the entire state is expected to be able to catch a peak of this spectacle in the sky tonight.  Just take a look at this map from NOAA and The National Weather Service.

NOAA/National Weather Service
NOAA/National Weather Service
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This is a map for tonight October 10th, 2024, and as you can see virtually the entire state of North Dakota will likely have the opportunity to witness the Auroas.

The lights could be really brilliant in the northern half of the state.  If we get a little cooperation from the clouds tonight, we could be in for a spectacular view. However, that could be the problem, an approaching cold front is expected to bring mostly cloudy to partly cloudy conditions.

I would be looking for the Northern Lights as soon as it gets dark for your best chance to see them before the clouds move it.

The Northern Lights, or its scientific name "Aurora Borealis" is a rare treat we get to see in this neck of the woods.

Have you ever wondered how this visual spectacle all comes together?  According to Northern Lights Centre, "they are the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth's atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun's atmosphere."

What about the different spectacular colors we get to enjoy?  That is due to the type of gas particles that are colliding.

We are getting into a lot of science talk that obviously I should've been paying more attention to back in school.  No matter how it happens, I sure do love when it does.

As far as the best time to view the Northern Lights in North Dakota tonight, you shouldn't have to wait long after dark.

According to our staff meteorologists from Severe Weather Studios, you should look for the Aurora Borealis between 10 pm and Midnight tonight. As always, if you can get out away from the city you should have better luck seeing the Northern Lights.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

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