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| Posted last night |
Widespread auroras are possible across most of Canada and a large swath of the U.S. tonight as forecasters expect a potent geomagnetic storm to kick off the weekend. This event ranks as a 'severe" G4 on the scale used to measure the intensity of geomagnetic storms. The scale ranges from G1 (minor) on the low end to G5 (extreme) on the high end.
Forecasters with National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) issued a geomagnetic storm watch ahead of the event, saying on Friday that "watches at this level are very rare." This is the first G4 level watch issued by the agency since January 2005.
I am thinking of everyone on an Alaska cruise right now, they will have a great view as there are no city lights to hinder the view.
