G3 geomagnetic storm watch for Oct. 4 to 6 due to two coronal mass ejections anticipated to reach Earth
Aurora forecasters are anticipating visible northern lights in Alberta over the weekend due to a strong geomagnetic storm.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a G3 geomagnetic storm watch for Oct. 4 to 6 due to two coronal mass ejections (CME) anticipated to reach Earth. According to NOAA, when these CMEs arrive, a geomagnetic storm can occur.
With NOAA predicting a strong G3 storm, it could produce aurora visible as far south as the state of Illinois, the agency said. Watches of this duration and magnitude are infrequent, but not uncommon, according to NOAA.
Space Weather Canada warns that significant geomagnetic storms have a variety of effects on technology. They can affect some radio transmissions and cause damage to satellites due to magnetic disturbances, which in turn impacts GPS navigation. These disturbances can also induce electric currents in power lines and pipelines, which may cause power outages or pipeline corrosion.
She warns that “dayside communications will be noisy this week and be subject to periodic radio blackouts up to the high R3-level.” She adds that GPS reception will “likely worsen around dawn and dusk and likely on the nightside while the storms are passing.”
Auroras were visible as far south as Florida during the Québec blackout.
This weekend’s solar storms, while expected to be intense, will unlikely have as significant affect on the power grid as Québec’s 1989 incident. Improvements have been made to power systems since then, and the incoming solar storms are less severe.