NEW YORK (AP) — Solar storms can cause weak northern lights on the edge of the northern United States this weekend as forecasters watch for possible power and communications disruptions.

The sun’s magnetic field is currently at the peak of its eleven-year cycle, making solar storms and northern lights more common. The sun shot out two strong solar flares this week, including one Thursday, the largest since 2017.

Pale aurorae may be visible as far south as South Dakota, Iowa and New York – but storms could still strengthen or weaken this weekend.

“There is still quite a bit of uncertainty,” Erica Grow Cei, spokesperson for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Friday.

Unusually strong solar storms in May produced breathtaking aurora images in the Northern Hemisphere. According to NOAA, this week’s storms saw fewer releases of the high-energy plasma that can cause a light show.

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