ALBANY — A large-scale geomagnetic storm was predicted to sweep across the Northern Hemisphere Monday night, but most New Yorkers had little hope of spotting the colorful waves of light known as aurora borealis, or northern lights.

Space weather forecasters say northern lights may be visible in parts of the northern United States following weekend solar storms.

The SWPC states that the best time to see the Northern Lights is between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., as the level of geomagnetic activity increases during this period. It's also the darkest time of night, which creates a strong contrast with the lights to make the aurora borealis become more visible.