Northern lights possible
Elana Shepert / Lodestar Media – May 15, 2026 / 6:52 pm | Story: 614694
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The northern lights could be visible on Saturday, May 16, 2026, provided the Metro Vancouver weather forecast cooperates and on Monday, too.
Metro Vancouverites could enjoy a side of dancing, colourful lights after the thunderbolts wrap up over the May long weekend.
The long-weekend forecast includes some stormy weather on Friday and into Saturday morning, following the season’s first true thunderstorm, which caused a couple of power outages in the Lower Mainland.
The northern lights could be visible overnight Saturday (May 16), provided the Metro Vancouver weather forecast co-operates. Another opportunity is possible on Monday, too.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for May 16 to May 18. A G1 (Minor) storm was observed over the past 24 hours.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks expects active displays of the aurora on Saturday night overhead from Yellowknife to Iqaliuit, and from Juneau to Edmonton and Winnipeg. It will also be low on the horizon from Vancouver to Des Moines, Chicago to Boston and Halifax (see photo gallery above).
The university’s online aurora monitor map shows what regions the aurora’s green glow will likely reach, and other areas where it is less likely. Additionally, a brief description below the map shows the aurora activity on that particular day.
A similar forecast is in place for Monday night, although the aurora is expected to be slightly less active. Despite this, Vancouver is still included in its roundup of possible viewing spots
