Montana
HEADS UP: Chance to see the Northern Lights in Montana this weekend
MISSOULA — Heads up Montana – the Space Weather Prediction Center says that a strong geomagnetic storm may create opportunities to see the Aurora Borealis this weekend.
The SWPC is a branch of NOAA that tracks storms in within our solar system. For this upcoming weekend, a G4 watch was issued, which is a rare call. A G4 severe watch has not been issued since January 2005, over 19 years ago.
Here’s a breakdown of why the center made this call:
WHAT – “Several CMEs will quite likely reach Earth and lead to elevated geomagnetic activity.”
EVENT – “A coronal mass ejection (CME) is an eruption of solar material. When they arrive at Earth, a geomagnetic storm can result.”
WHY – “Watches at this level are very rare.”
TIMING – “The CMEs are anticipated to merge and arrive at Earth by late on Friday, May 10th or early on Saturday, May 11th.”
EFFECTS – “The Aurora may become visible over much of the northern half of the country, maybe as far south to Alabama or northern California.”
Basically, Montanans have a better chance to see the Northern Lights between the period of late Friday night – early Saturday morning. There may even be a chance between Saturday night – Sunday morning as well.
The G4 number is subject to change though, so if you want to see the lights, continue to check the SPWC forecast at these sites:
Some general viewing tips if you want to try your luck at seeing the Aurora include heading/looking north to an area with low light pollution and viewing between the hours of 12 AM – 3 AM.
Also, there are many local Aurora Borealis spotter groups on Facebook also that can help guide Montanans once the viewing time draws closer.
Cloud coverage will be minimal this weekend at night, making it easier to spot the lights!
As always, if you take pictures, we would love to share them! Please email your snapshots to – photo@kpax.com.
Montana
Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan
Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.
“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”
Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing
06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The Socorro Independent School District honored and celebrated its top two educators at the 2026 Teacher of the Year Gala on Friday, May 8 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Cristina Garcia, a fifth-grade teacher at Mission Ridge Elementary School, was recognized as the 2026 SISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Javier Esparza, an audio and video broadcast teacher at Socorro High School, was named the 2026 SISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.
https://www.ktsm.com/news/socorro-isd-honors-top-2-teachers-at-gala-celebration/
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