Severe geomagnetic storm may keep the northern light show flowing

The NWT has been treated to an array of aurora lately. A major solar storm might mean another intense display ahead – if the clouds cooperate.

Nasa’s Space Weather Prediction Center forecast a severe G4 geomagnetic storm on Wednesday, predicting that the most intense effects would be felt (and seen) on Thursday and possibly Friday.

The peak activity was expected during the daytime on Thursday, but the storm could last for 36 hours and is likely to generate exceptional light shows across vast areas of the planet if they have a clear sight of the sky at night.

Solar storms this strong are rare, and they have the ability to create aurora much farther south than would normally be the case.

The storm is likely to add to the collection of spectacular displays the North has recently been privileged to view.

Night after night over the past month, aurora viewers in the NWT have been stunned by green and purple dancing lights.

While the northern lights are nothing new here, their intensity is being driven up as the Sun reaches what is known as the solar maximum – the time in a roughly 11-year cycle at which the Sun’s activity reaches its highest point. That means more sunspots, more solar flares, more geomagnetic storms and ultimately more northern lights.

This year is expected to be the peak of the current solar cycle.

The New York Times said the warning issued by the Space Weather Prediction Center this week was only the second at this level of severity in the past 19 years.

Aurora displays are being forecast as far south as Alabama and California.

In the NWT, what you see will probably depend on the local weather, never mind the space weather.

Yellowknife looks like having a 50-50 chance of a clear night but could just as likely be clouded over, according to forecasts on Thursday morning.

The Dehcho and South Slave look more likely to have an uninterrupted view. A bank of cloud looks set to park itself over the Sahtu, while Inuvik will need luck on its side to get a clear shot, but it’s not out of the question.