Overview

• NOAA confirmed the event reached G3 (strong) levels Sunday night, with the Kp index peaking near 6.7 and auroras reported from New England and the Great Lakes to parts of the Midwest and Colorado.
• Forecasters now expect lesser activity, with minor to moderate geomagnetic conditions and a Kp around 5 possible, keeping the best odds near the U.S.–Canada border states.
• SWPC meteorologist Shawn Dahl attributed the storm to a high‑speed solar wind stream from a large trans‑equatorial coronal hole, not a disruptive coronal mass ejection.
• Park rangers and residents shared widespread images, including scenes over Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Upstate New York, Michigan, and New Hampshire.
• Viewing remains most favorable from dark locations between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., and phone night modes or long exposures can reveal colors that are faint to the naked eye.