Who could see northern lights Thursday thanks to 'severe' geomagnetic storm?

(NEXSTAR) — A severe solar storm impacting Earth could bring the northern lights to portions of the U.S. on Thursday.

Earlier this week, a massive solar flare was detected on the Sun, followed by a fast-moving coronal mass ejection (CME) directed toward Earth.

The flare sparked solar radiation storm conditions on Wednesday, posing a risk to satellites, communication signals and GPS systems. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) also issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for the CME.