The states that will likely be able to see the northern lights, as long as the weather is clear, are, according to the center's maps: North Dakota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Washington, Idaho, New York, Alaska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Montana. Adding in Alabama and California, that's at least 17 states.

Large swaths of California are under heat advisories Friday and Saturday with officials cautioning against outdoor activities in triple-digit areas.

A growing chorus of climate scientists now says the next U.S. mega-storm may strike California. Fueled by warming oceans and shifting jet streams, this potential atmospheric event could unleash catastrophic flooding across cities and farmland alike.