Northern Lights over Isle Royale.  Photo:  National Park Service

By James Carter of Travel and Leisure - August 31, 2019

Have you ever seen the creeping, twisting, and sometimes pulsing green lights they call the aurora borealis? Also known as the northern lights, if this celestial sight is on your bucket list be prepared to make a little effort this weekend and you may just get lucky. A G1 or G2 geomagnetic storm is predicted by the NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center, and it may cause northern lights to be visible in the U.S.

Where can I see the northern lights this weekend?

Though normally restricted to Alaska, this weekend it may be possible to see the northern lights in the U.S. states of Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine. Something similar happened in early August. However, according to abc57 locations that also have a “legitimate shot” at seeing the northern lights (though probably as a green glow on the northern horizon) include Omaha, Des Moines, Chicago, Milwaukee, South Bend, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, New York City, and Boston.

How to see the northern lights in the U.S. this weekend

Though they may be visible further south than usual, the best locations where the aurora borealis is more likely to be overhead will still be in the most northern parts of the U.S. close to the border with Canada, and most likely only in the very darkest locations. Be sure to position yourself somewhere as far north as possible with a clear view to the north that isn’t obstructed by any kind of light pollution — and that includes streetlights as well as towns and cities.

Here’s our pick of which U.S. National Parks and protected areas to go this weekend to get a rare glimpse of the “green lady” in action.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

An area of hundreds of islands, Isle Royale National Park is up at 48° N latitude close to the Canada-U.S. border. Surrounded by Lake Superior, it’s all about wilderness and is a haven for kayakers, canoeists, and hikers.

To see the full list of recommended northern lights viewing locations for this weekend, follow this link to the Yahoo Lifestyle website.  https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/see-northern-lights-u-labor-161745345.html