See magnificent northern lights from Truckee, Sutter Creek, Lassen and Modoc counties

A breathtaking aurora borealis show was captured on camera Thursday night at Truckee’s iconic Rainbow Bridge on historic Highway 40.

Stunning photos of the spectacle, also called the northern lights, were taken by Katey Hamill for Vail Resorts, owner of Kirkwood, Northstar and Heavenly ski resorts in California.

Parts of California saw the northern lights due to a “severe” geomagnetic storm, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Although we don’t have snow in Tahoe yet, Mother Nature gave us a different kind of magic last night — the breathtaking Aurora Borealis captured at Truckee’s iconic Rainbow Bridge on historic Highway 40,” Vail said in an email.

Photographer David Lauder took a time-lapse video of the aurora from Sutter Creek in Amador County. His footage happened to catch an image from the fire on Main Street, Lauder said in an email.

Meanwhile, a compilation time-lapse video of Mother Nature’s light show was captured by ALERTCalifornia cameras in Modoc and Lassen counties in Northern California.

This story was originally published October 11, 2024 at 11:14 AM with the headline "See magnificent northern lights from Truckee, Sutter Creek, Lassen and Modoc counties."

David Caraccio

The Sacramento Bee

916-321-1125

David Caraccio is a video producer for The Sacramento Bee who was born and raised in Sacramento. He is a graduate of San Diego State University and a longtime journalist who has worked for newspapers as a reporter, editor, page designer and digital content producer.