Why April 15th Is Perfect For Northern Lights Viewing In Yakima

If you're reading this on April 15th, that means tonight!

Everything in the air is just right for a chance to see the Northern Lights even from our town.

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We've been getting a lot more opportunities to see the Northern Lights in our area, especially in Yakima. For years, we never had this chance and, for whatever reason (I'm sure there's a scientific reason) we've had a few chances in the last year or so to see them.

Let's take advantage of this opportunity as much as we can.

What causes the Northern Lights?

According to Michigan Tech, it's the sun's energetic particles mix with the Earth's magnetic field.

It creates such a fun image in the sky that we've seen in the past.

If it helps, look at it through your phone as your phone may auto-correct any color to make it more vivid versus trying to view the northern lights with the naked eye.

It's definitely a sight to be seen.

I've in Alaska during the beginning of Northern Lights season and didn't get a chance to see anything.

It was nice that sometimes we can see the Northern Lights even in our area as it scratches that itch and fulfills the idea from me seeing them with my own eyes in person for the first time.

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Although the full extent of damage caused by Hurricane Ian in the Southwest is still being realized, Ian is already being called one of the costliest storms to ever hit the U.S. Stacker took a look at NOAA data to extrapolate the costliest U.S. hurricanes of all time.

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.

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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

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