Northern Lights Possible in Illinois Tonight

"So you're saying there's a chance." That line from Jim Carrey's Dumb and Dumber ran through my head the moment I saw this headline from ABC 7 in Chicago.

Northern lights may be visible due to solar storms in Illinois Thursday night

A Second Chance to See the Aurora Borealis

As someone who once flew all the way to Alaska and still managed to miss the Aurora Borealis, I've been a little bitter about it ever since. Tonight, though, might finally be my shot at redemption. According to ABC 7 in Chicago, solar storms may bring colorful auroras to several northern U.S. states tonight.

Auroras could be visible - especially in darker, rural areas - in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and northern parts of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

Eerik

Cloudy Skies May Ruin Illinois Northern Lights View

That "northern parts of Illinois" sounds pretty promising. But not to rain on anyone's aurora parade, here's the forecast for tonight: clouds, rain showers, and even a chance of thunder. Weather.com currently puts the rain chance at 80 percent.

Missed in Alaska, Maybe Missed Again

I'm no meteorologist, but I'm guessing a thick blanket of clouds might make seeing the Northern Lights, the Aurora Borealis, or whatever you want to call it, a little tricky.

It looks like I really should have tried harder to see them back in Alaska.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

Source: Northern Lights Could Dazzle Illinois Skies Tonight