Major U.S. metropolitan areas including those of Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Seattle are north of the projected viewline, while other cities including Buffalo and Detroit are just south of the predicted cutoff for seeing the lights. The northern lights may be visible in almost all of Canada, including Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.

The sun sends us gifts of a dazzling show of light come Christmas night. Skywatchers are anticipating a possible aurora borealis for parts of the US on Dec. 25 following a solar flare that spewed a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth.

Residents in a few of the U.S.’ northernmost states will have a chance to spot the northern lights Thursday night, according to a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA forecasts a Kp index of three for Thursday night,

A display of auroras is expected to light up the skies on Christmas Day, thanks to a powerful M8.9 solar flare enroute to Earth.

Auroral activity is forecast to increase on Christmas Day, with NOAA forecasting a Kp index of five and a viewing line encompassing a few more regions than Christmas Eve’s forecast, including northern New England, northern New York and northern Iowa.

Keep looking up! As you wind down your Christmas day, make sure to carve out some time in the evening to head outside after dark and look up. A 1-2 punch of sky potential could delight the region (if we can actually clear that sky out in time).

On Christmas Day, a geomagnetic storm will enhance the chances of witnessing the Northern Lights across 10 U.S. states.