Northern Lights forecast revised; Washington likely too far south for good viewing

Unfortunately for people hoping to view the aurora borealis, the forecast for seeing the Northern Lights has changed.

Lauri Nisbet, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service’s Spokane office, said the forecast “doesn’t look promising.”

“The KP Index is pretty low right now,” Nisbet said.

News stories about seeing the Northern Lights, including a Thursday morning story in The Spokesman-Review, were based on predictions by the weather service and the University of Alaska’s aurora forecast.

Those looking to see the lights will have more opportunities because, according to the the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the sun will reach its solar maximum during the next two years and will be more active, resulting in a consistently higher KP Index.