In November of 2003, an exceptionally strong solar storm led to a display of the northern lights right here in the Lakes Region. 

Between 2001 and 2003, the northern lights were actually pretty frequent here due to the unusually intense peak of the solar cycle. It was a monthly occurrence, but most displays were too faint to be really noticeable. The November 2003 display was a G5 geomagnetic storm– the most powerful, and the effects can be seen below. These photos represent what the eye saw that night starting around 6pm. The colors and brightness are not exaggerated by using long camera exposures.