For much of Siberia then, the long and gloomy winter nights are rarely punctuated by magnificent auroras - another reason not to move there. The best opportunity to observe an aurora for those of us in the middle latitudes will be during the peak of the current solar cycle - from now through the next 18 months or so. Fortunately, auroral displays can now often be predicted a couple days in advance, because the solar eruptions that are precursors to them are routinely monitored by solar observatories. Even if you hear on the news that a brilliant aurora was reported the night before, don't be discouraged, solar storms quite often last more than 24 hours - the next night may produce an aurora as well. The best time to look is in the middle of the night since the auroral ring is usually positioned farthest south at this time.
Many aurora are nearly as bright as the full moon while others are faint.
As always, when observing the night sky, you'll have better luck if your away from city lights.