The northern lights may return to the night sky over the Pittsburgh area on Wednesday.
Eruptions from the sun, known as coronal mass ejections, have occurred over the past few days. These eruptions interact with Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic fields, resulting in a colorful display of the aurora borealis or northern lights.
The latest storm is considered a G4 or severe geomagnetic storm, and southwestern Pennsylvania is under a severe geomagnetic storm watch on Wednesday. While these can produce the northern lights, they can also interrupt radio, TV, satellite and cell phone communications.
When is the best time to see the northern lights?
The Space Weather Prediction Center, which is part of the National Weather Service, says its modeling indicates the energy from the storm will arrive mid- to late-day on Wednesday.
Northern lights forecast for Nov. 12, 2025.
(Photo Credit: KDKA Weather Center
For people in southwestern Pennsylvania to have a good chance of seeing the northern lights, a 6 on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Kp index forecast is needed. Current projections show that this will be the case on Wednesday night.
The Kp index forecast reflects the magnitude of a geomagnetic storm.
How to see the northern lights
The northern lights are hard to predict, but there are several indications that show Wednesday has the highest potential for 2025. If the aurora borealis does show up, it could be any time after dark.
You will want to find a dark place with a good view of the northern sky. They show up best in pictures, so use “night mode” on your phone.
A screenshot of an iPhone’s camera shows the yellow button for night mode that helps capture better photos of the northern lights.
If the northern lights are intense enough, they can sometimes even be seen overhead. Let’s hope the clouds will cooperate, but that could be tough.
You can also search for NOAA’s forecast. It shows a 30-minute window to help see the northern lights.