Northern Lights: Peak Season Ends, Best Spots & Forecasts

0:00I'm Corey, and this is your Pulse of the City, Anchorage News Today. The Northern Lights have wrapped up their most dazzling display in years, peaking last October during the solar maximum. Over the past two years, vibrant green purple and magenta shows lit up skies as far south as Florida and Mexico even dazzling city dwellers from. San Francisco to Washington. Now, as the 11-year solar cycle shifts toward minimum, expect fewer and fainter auroras, mostly hugging the polar regions. Sightings in the lower 48 states will grow rare, though random solar flares could still spark surprises. Tourism hot spots like Tromzo in Norway, Obisco in Sweden, Ravani Amy in Finland, Fair Banks in Alaska, and Yellowknife or Whitehorse in Canada offer the best odds with high chances year-round in those aurora ovals. Closer to home, Northern U.S. spots such as Ubstay, New York, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Pennsylvania's Cherry Springs State Park, or Shenandoah.

1:01National Park in Virginia provide dark skies for potential glimpses, especially September through April around equinoxes. For chasers, guided tours and cruises handle forecasts and logistics while do-it-yourselfers can track NOAs KP Index University of Alaska, forecasts, or citizen apps like aurorasaurus for real-time alerts before activity dips by late 2027. A quick thank you to our sponsor of today's episode. For more information, visit our website at www.solipillow.com