January 8, 2014 - The Cape and Islands may have good chance of catching sight of the Northern Lights late, late tonight.
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center – yes, there is such a thing – is saying that a powerful solar flare on Tuesday has created favorable conditions for seeing the Northern Lights at latitudes much lower than usual – including as far south as Washington, D.C., and Baltimore.
Our best opportunity for seeing the Aurora Borealis, weather permitting, should come after midnight tonight until dawn.
The NWS is calling for partly cloudy skies across our region – so we may catch a view. You’ll want your wool hat and mittens - and long underwear too - if you're stepping outside… overnight temperatures are forecast to be in the upper teens. - Steve Junker
For more details of the Aurora Borealis you can visit several sites provided by NOAA
Auroral Activity Extrapolated from NOAA POES
Other good resources are:
Soft Serve News Aurora Borealis Forecast who also have a Facebook Page.
Universe Today, from amateur astronomer and member of the American Association of Variable Star Observers
Accuweather with Meteorologist Mark Paquette
If you do go out tonight it's recommended to bring a compass to make sure you know which direction is north, and of course, bundle up!
Forecast
Wednesday Night: Clear to partly cloudy. Cold. Lows generally 15 to 20°F…though a few spots may dip a couple of degrees colder than that. West winds 5 to 10 mph through the night.
From the National Weather Service:
· Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. West wind 11 to 14 mph.
· Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 30. Northwest wind 6 to 11 mph.
· Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 21. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
· Friday: A slight chance of snow showers before 2pm, then a slight chance of rain showers between 2pm and 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
· Friday Night: A slight chance of rain after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
