Look up! Auroras may shine Wednesday night to welcome the New Year

Some folks may be able to close out 2025 with a view of the Northern Lights dancing in the skies.

Keep your eyes on the skies Wednesday night and you may be able to catch a faint glimpse of the Northern Lights as we close out 2025 and welcome in 2026.

A coronal mass ejection (CME) is travelling toward the Earth and will deliver a glancing blow against our geomagnetic field on Wednesday, resulting in a weak G1 strength geomagnetic storm.

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Canada Northern Lights forecast - Dec. 31, 2025

The lights will be most vibrant across Northern Canada and the northern halves of Western and Eastern Canada. It is possible to see fainter lights further south, with the best odds being across Western Canada and northwestern Ontario.

The best time to see the lights will be between 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. CT or 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. MT.

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Unfortunately, much of Western Canada is forecast to see widespread cloud cover during the overnight Wednesday.

Canada Wednesday overnight forecast cloud cover - Dec. 31, 2025

Parts of southern Alberta and British Columbia should have clear skies, although southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba will have less luck. Skies are also forecast to remain clear across northwestern Ontario.

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Early risers across Eastern Canada could catch a quick glimpse of the Northern Lights right before sunrise if they're lucky.