Posted by Chuck Beatty on December 13, 2006 at 11:18 PM
Just read that due to increased solar flare activity, there's a good chance for the formation of auroras in the northern US on Thursday night. Might be worth a look.
Posted by Jack Graham on December 14, 2006 at 7:29 AM
Here is the latest news from www.spaceweather.com ( very cool site ) as well as the forecast for us here in NE Ohio. It looks like all we may experience here is bad call phone coverage, and bad radio reception, if you are trying to listen to stations far away ( I listen to WFAN--660 AM sports radio in NYC).
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AURORA ALERT: Sky watchers everywhere should be alert for auroras on Dec. 14th. That's when a coronal mass ejection (CME) hurled into space by yesterday's X3-flare is expected to hit. NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of severe geomagnetic storms.
An X3-flare on Dec. 13th. Image credit: SOHO
Solar activity is expected to remain high for days. Sunspot 930, the source of the incoming CME, has an unstable "delta-class" magnetic field that harbors energy for more X-flares. Stay tuned.
___________________________________________
National Wx Service
.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...
LATEST SATELLITE SHOWS VIGOROUS VORTICITY MAXIMUM HEADED OUR WAY
FROM THE WEST. THIS FEATURE APPEARS TO HAVE A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE HIGH
CLOUDS INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AFTER A MOSTLY SUNNY START.
AMPLE MORNING SUNSHINE SHOULD HELP TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE
MIDDLE 50S TODAY AND THEN SETTLE DOWN AS CLOUD COVER BEGINS TO
BLANKET THE AREA. GRADIENT WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE AGAIN TOWARD
EVENING AND ALLOW WIND SPEEDS TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
A SECONDARY SHORTWAVE WILL FOLLOW LATER TONIGHT ON THE HEELS OF THE
FIRST SHORWAVE BUT THIS ONE WILL HAVE DEEPER MOISTURE AND ENOUGH TO
PRODUCE SOME SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT.
DIVERGENT QVECTORS ALSO SUPPORT A CHANCE FOR SOME RAIN OVERNIGHT AS
WELL. SO WILL MENTION 30 PERCENT CHANCE TONIGHT.
JG
Posted by Tim Mulholland on December 15, 2006 at 1:58 PM
Thank you both for putting up this notice! I was driving my son to his basketball practice last night and noticed a greenish hue behind the northern clouds. If I hadn't been alerted by you, then I would have assumed street lights, something else - I don't know what. I did drive to a darker spot and saw about the same thing - too many clouds for a great view, but I knew that they were there!
Discussion
2 replies______________________________
AURORA ALERT: Sky watchers everywhere should be alert for auroras on Dec. 14th. That's when a coronal mass ejection (CME) hurled into space by yesterday's X3-flare is expected to hit. NOAA forecasters estimate a 55% chance of severe geomagnetic storms.
An X3-flare on Dec. 13th. Image credit: SOHO
Solar activity is expected to remain high for days. Sunspot 930, the source of the incoming CME, has an unstable "delta-class" magnetic field that harbors energy for more X-flares. Stay tuned.
___________________________________________
National Wx Service
.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...
LATEST SATELLITE SHOWS VIGOROUS VORTICITY MAXIMUM HEADED OUR WAY
FROM THE WEST. THIS FEATURE APPEARS TO HAVE A LOT OF HIGH LEVEL
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT. FEATURE IS EXPECTED TO BRING THE HIGH
CLOUDS INTO THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AFTER A MOSTLY SUNNY START.
AMPLE MORNING SUNSHINE SHOULD HELP TEMPERATURES CLIMB INTO THE
MIDDLE 50S TODAY AND THEN SETTLE DOWN AS CLOUD COVER BEGINS TO
BLANKET THE AREA. GRADIENT WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE AGAIN TOWARD
EVENING AND ALLOW WIND SPEEDS TO INCREASE FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
A SECONDARY SHORTWAVE WILL FOLLOW LATER TONIGHT ON THE HEELS OF THE
FIRST SHORWAVE BUT THIS ONE WILL HAVE DEEPER MOISTURE AND ENOUGH TO
PRODUCE SOME SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT.
DIVERGENT QVECTORS ALSO SUPPORT A CHANCE FOR SOME RAIN OVERNIGHT AS
WELL. SO WILL MENTION 30 PERCENT CHANCE TONIGHT.
JG
Thanks again,
Tim!