Northern Lights Dazzle Estes Park with Rare Spectacle

Tuesday night was the real showstopper. The sky opened up in bright reds and sharp greens that looked like someone painted the whole valley with a giant holiday brush. The wind cut through the ridgeline, but nobody seemed to care. Cars packed the pullout by the Estes Park welcome sign on Highway 36. Folks leaned against their bumpers, zipped their jackets higher, and stared at the sky like they were trying to memorize it.

 

You could hear the wind, the clicking of phone cameras, and every so often a quiet “wow.” When the reds brightened, people pointed. When the greens deepened along the horizon, everyone shifted to get a better angle. It felt like half the town showed up to watch the same moment unfold.

 

Wednesday was a different kind of beauty. Softer, quieter. The clouds drifted in and muted most of the color. What we did see came through as light pinks and pale greens brushing the sky. Not as vivid as Tuesday, but still enough to make you stop for a second. The kind of glow that feels like a secret shared with whoever stayed out past dinner.

Mo Pass said Tuesday was the main course and Wednesday was the dessert. I told him that was the first time he has ever compared science to a meal, but he was not wrong.

 

These storms do not come often, and when they do, they remind you how lucky we are to live under a sky big enough to surprise us twice in a row.

 

Buck’s takeaway: Some nights roar, some nights whisper, and both are worth stepping outside for.