A Severe Geomagnetic (G4) Storm Watch has been issued for Earth, which could impact the Carolinas Sunday night.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center issued a Severe Geomagnetic (G4) Storm Watch for June 1 and 2. According to the experts at SWPC, a rare, elevated solar flare occurred Friday night into Saturday morning.
The flare was associated with an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (or CME). A CME is an eruption of solar material and magnetic fields, and can lead to a geomagnetic storm when it arrives on Earth.
There is still plenty of uncertainty on intensity and timing, as solar storms are extremely hard to forecast.
How do we know?
You may have heard of something called the Kp index (or Planetary K-index), which is used to break down the magnitude of geomagnetic storms. Think of this index as using the EF scale for tornadoes or the Saffir-Simpson scale for hurricanes. It’s a way to classify them and know what to expect.
According to SWPC, Kp is an excellent indicator of disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field and is used to decide whether geomagnetic alerts and warnings need to be issued.
A Kp index around 7-8 usually gives us a good chance to see the northern lights. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, the forecast sits at 7.67.
What does this mean for folks in the Carolinas?
There’s a chance we could see the northern lights, or aurora borealis. The best opportunity is Sunday night through early Monday, with the greatest chance between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m.
While unlikely to reach the intensity of May 2024’s event, it’ll be the best chance for folks across the Carolinas to see the northern lights (or aurora borealis) in about six months.
Getting away from light pollution and finding the darkest spot will increase your chance of seeing the spectacular sight!
Contact Brittany Van Voorhees at bvanvoorhe@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Contact Brad Panovich at bpanovich@wcnc.com or follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
