The aurora borealis appeared farther south than usual on Nov. 11–13, with Wisconsin residents reporting colorful displays and the activity reaching as far as Florida. Scientists attribute the increased sightings to a strong geomagnetic storm produced by a coronal mass ejection and to the sun being near a solar maximum in its roughly 11-year cycle. Improved smartphone cameras, long-exposure photography and rapid social media sharing have also made faint auroras easier to detect and spread awareness. The Space Weather Prediction Center issues three-day forecasts and K-index guidance; the recent storm prompted 21 flight cancellations and a scrubbed space launch.
Why Wisconsin Is Seeing the Northern Lights More Often — What's Behind the Surge
The aurora borealis appeared farther south than usual on Nov. 11–13, with Wisconsin residents reporting colorful displays and the activity reaching as far as Florida. Scientists attribute the increased sightings to a strong geomagnetic storm produced by a coronal mass ejection and to the sun being near a solar maximum in its roughly 11-year cycle. Improved smartphone cameras, long-exposure photography and rapid social media sharing have also made faint auroras easier to detect and spread awareness. The Space Weather Prediction Center issues three-day forecasts and K-index guidance; the recent storm prompted 21 flight cancellations and a scrubbed space launch.
10:24 AM, 11/14/2025Science
Why Wisconsin Is Seeing the Northern Lights More Often
In recent nights the aurora borealis has appeared much farther south than usual, surprising viewers well away from the Arctic. Residents across Wisconsin reported colorful displays overnight on Nov. 11–12 and Nov. 12–13, and northern and central parts of the state were able to see the lights again overnight Nov. 13–14. This week's activity extended as far south as Florida.
While auroras in Wisconsin remain noteworthy, sightings have occurred multiple times this year. For many people what once felt like a rare, once-in-a-lifetime event now happens often enough to be photographed from backyards.
What's causing it?
The aurora borealis is produced when charged particles from the sun interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere during a geomagnetic storm. J.J. Wood, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan, said the displays visible across much of Wisconsin on Nov. 11 and Nov. 12 resulted from a particularly strong geomagnetic storm.
"Basically, the stronger it is, the further south you'll see it in the northern hemisphere," Wood said.
Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the National Weather Service's Space Weather Prediction Center, noted that geomagnetic storms can be triggered by several solar events, including coronal mass ejections (CMEs).
"These are giant bursts of solar material and highly charged particles — and most importantly, a very strong localized magnetic field that gets stretched out into space. If they come toward Earth or reach Earth, that energy interacts with Earth's own magnetic barrier," Dahl said.
When energetic particles from a CME strike molecules high in Earth's atmosphere, they excite those molecules and release light — the shimmering colors we call the aurora borealis.
Solar cycle and forecasting
Solar activity fluctuates on roughly an 11-year cycle as the sun's magnetic polarity reverses. The sun is currently near a solar maximum, a phase NASA and NOAA said in October 2024 may persist for roughly another year. At solar maximum, coronal mass ejections, solar flares and radiation storms are more likely, though activity can be episodic — quiet stretches followed by bursts of intense events.
The Space Weather Prediction Center issues three-day forecasts for geomagnetic activity and uses the planetary K-index (0–9) to estimate how far the aurora may extend from the poles: values around 0–2 indicate weak activity confined to high latitudes, while 8–9 can produce bright auroras visible across much of the United States.
Why more people are noticing
Improved smartphone cameras and digital long-exposure techniques allow amateur photographers to capture auroral colors that might be faint to the naked eye. Social media and news coverage then spread those images quickly, alerting more people that the northern lights may be visible from their area.
Beyond public interest, the Space Weather Prediction Center coordinates with federal agencies and electric utilities about potential impacts from severe geomagnetic storms. The recent storm contributed to cancellation of 21 flights and the scrubbing of a planned space launch.
Sources: J.J. Wood, National Weather Service (Milwaukee/Sullivan); Shawn Dahl, Space Weather Prediction Center; NASA and NOAA.