NOAA Forecasts Severe Solar Storm, Auroras Possible as Far South as California

Another possible massive geomagnetic storm is heading towards Earth and could bring an enormous display of the northern lights to parts of the United States as far as Northern California and Alabama.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has been monitoring the sun following a strong “X-Class” solar flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) on October 8th and have issued a Severe G4 Geomagnetic Storm Watch starting Thursday morning/early afternoon October 10th and subsiding sometime on Saturday, October 12th. According to Space Weather Forecaster Shawn Dahl, this watch has the potential to result in one most significant aurora events seen since May, and possibly the largest going back as far as 1989.

The CME (explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona) is expected to cause geomagnetic storms when directed toward Earth, which could impact and potentially disrupt communications, the electric power grid, navigation systems, and satellite operations. The good news is the SWPC has already been in contact with the operators responsible for these systems so they can prepare and take protective action. While there is still concern about the situation developing in Florida and relief efforts, the good news is that due to their latitude, the state shouldn’t be impacted.

The team at NOAA expects the geomagnetic storm, which is traveling at nearly 2.5 million miles per hour, to make contact with the Earth in the late morning/early afternoon on Thursday, with effects stretching into the early hours of Saturday. While there is no sure thing regarding the presence of auroras in these situations, the sheer magnitude of the X1.8 flare should provide hope for astrophotographers to see an exciting sky, especially in the mid-to-high latitudes, as long as they have clear, dark skies, with visibility starting within the first hour of darkness.

Anyone excited about the potential light show should keep tabs on the Aurora Dashboard where the SWPC provides a real-time model showing the last 24 hours of visibility as well as projections and estimates for what the next 30 minutes will be like. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center is the official source for space weather forecasts, watches, warnings, and alerts. Visit www.spaceweather.gov for updates. The public can subscribe to receive NOAA space weather alerts, warnings, and watch information at pss.swpc.noaa.gov. 

Photographing the northern lights can be tricky, so interested photographers should check out PetaPixel‘s “How to Find and Photograph the Northern Lights” guide for helpful tips and tricks.

Image credits: Featured image licensed via Depositphotos