Wisconsin may get another northern lights show this weekend.
Only the northern portion of the state is in the viewline for Sept. 20, but the lights could be visible as far south as central Wisconsin on Sept. 21, according to a forecast from NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.
The Sept. 20 forecast has a Kp index of three while Sept. 21 has an index of four. For indexes in the three to five range, lights will likely be “brighter and there will be more auroral activity” if visible since they’re further from the poles, according to the SWPC.
Aside from the general viewline forecast, the SWPC also has a tool that provides a short-term forecast, showing the lights’ location and intensity for the next 30 to 90 minutes.
More: See photos of the aurora borealis lighting up Wisconsin’s night sky on Sept. 14
What will the weather be like in Wisconsin on Sept. 20 and 21?
Wisconsin could be in for a stormy weekend, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service, which could complicate your chance of seeing the aurora if it appears.
There’s a 50% chance of thunderstorms in Green Bay and Appleton on Sept. 20, with chances of scattered showers after.
But the chance of storms lowers slightly on Sept. 21, with a 30% chance of thunderstorms in Green Bay, Appleton, Wausau and Stevens Point.
More: Milwaukee can expect scattered rain and thunderstorms for Sept. 19 weekend
What are tips for watching the northern lights?
The lights are typically best “within an hour or two” of midnight, meaning you should keep an eye out between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., per the SWPC. And the best part of the year for catching the lights is around the equinoxes. The fall equinox takes place on Sept. 22.
“Due to subtleties in the way the solar wind interacts with Earth’s magnetosphere, there is a tendency towards larger geomagnetic storms, and thus better auroras, to occur near the equinoxes,” the SWPC said.
You should also head away from city lights and seek out high vantage points for a better view. You can find more tips from the SWPC at https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/tips-viewing-aurora.
What are the best places in Wisconsin to watch the aurora borealis?
Here’s a list of Wisconsin locations that could offer some of the best views of the night sky:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Can I see the aurora borealis in Wisconsin this weekend?