
When assessing the cloud cover situation, it is important to focus less on what is directly overhead, but what the sky will look like toward the northern horizon. Rather, you’ll have to have a clean view looking northward to see them. While theoretically visible at our latitude, they will almost certainly not appear directly overhead. Auroras tend to favor local midnight into the wee hours of the morning. But if that G3 prediction is spot on, history tells us auroras can dance across WNY. When/if the impact happens, we’ll know pretty quick what we’re working with. There is no telling exactly when and how strong/southward these auroras will get. My point is, predictions are just that…predictions. Conversely, I’ve seen a few surprise storms that came out of nowhere. I’ve seen many G3+ predictions fail to live up to the hype. That said, the complexity results in an inherent element of the unknown. I don’t envy the brilliant minds tasked with predicting this stuff. Predicting the timing and intensity of these sun burps is harder. RDs圜uW68R- Eric Snitil March 29, 2022Īs a fellow lover of all things space, this isn’t my first rodeo. Clouds will not be our friend with this one if it materializes, but we're watching. Fancy talk for the potential for auroras to be seen as far south as WNY. The current G3 forecast can drive auroras as far south as the NY/PA line.ĪURORA ALERT: A strong G3-class geomagnetic storm is forecast to impact Earth Wednesday night-Thursday morning. On paper, we’ll satisfy the first element.
#Northern lights forecast new jersey full#
1) A geomagnetic storm of sufficient intensity (I generally like to see at least a G3 rating) and 2) A sky overhead that isn’t full of clouds. Our ability to see them locally hinges on two factors. Auroras visible in WNY are not everyday occurrences, but they do happen. Now that we’ve gotten the technicals out of the way, let’s get into the meat and potatoes as it relates to us. In terms of auroras, the bigger the storm, the farther south auroras will be able to be seen. The bigger the number, the more intense the storm. These geomagnetic storms, as we call them, are rated on a scale from 1-5 based on potency and subsequent impacts to the earth. When these flares reach the earth’s magnetic field, vivid auroras can dance across the poles. Sometimes this energy doesn’t run into anything important. Our sun occasionally releases solar flares or chunks of energy that fly out into space.
#Northern lights forecast new jersey series#
( WROC) - High latitude sky watchers should be on the alert for auroras Wednesday night into Thursday, and it’s certainly possible auroras could dance as far south as WNY.Ī G3-class Geomagnetic Storm Watch is in effect for the early hours of March 31st (Wednesday night-Thursday morning) as a series of “sun burps” heads toward the earth. 18 North America forecast.ROCHESTER, N.Y. "Weather permitting, highly active auroral displays will be visible overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit, to Portland OR, Cheyenne, Lincoln, Springfield, and New York City, and visible low on the horizon as far south as Carson City, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh," the institute said in its Aug.
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The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' forecast was for high auroral activity. It might sound like fiction, but people in the Philadelphia region could catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis, or northern lights, Thursday night.

Even then, however, you might not see the show in the sky.
