MISSOULA — A "significant" solar flare was emitted by the sun on Thursday, which could lead to an impressive northern lights display this weekend for some parts of the country.
The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G3 (Strong) geomagnetic storm watch for October 30 (Friday night into Saturday morning) and a G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for October 31 (Saturday night - Sunday morning).
The Space Weather Prediction Center said some of the possible geomagnetic storm effects for Saturday include that auroras may be visible as low as Pennsylvania to Iowa to Oregon.
The current forecast for western Montana keeps cloud cover overhead Friday night with clearing skies Saturday into Sunday which would make for some fantastic viewing opportunities.
Aurora forecasts are fluid and can change quickly, so stay tuned for updates as we move through the weekend.
