A moderate geomagnetic storm watch was issued on Wednesday after holes appeared on the sun.
Geomagnetic storms are disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field caused by charged particles from the sun, such as solar wind.
These storms can trigger minor power grid fluctuations, affect satellite operations and produce auroras visible at high northern latitudes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted the impacts will be minor, mainly manageable effects on some technological infrastructure.
The alert noted that US states at high latitudes, primarily those above roughly 55° geomagnetic latitude, could experience minor power fluctuations, including the northern regions of Washington, Wisconsin, New York, Michigan and Maine.
Other northern states near the Canadian border, like Minnesota, North Dakota and Montana, could also be affected.
The alert was triggered when the geomagnetic K-index, a measure of disturbances in Earth’s magnetic field, reached 5 at 3:46pm ET.
According to NOAA’s forecast, geomagnetic storming is expected to peak between 5pm and 8pmET, with the Kp index reaching about 5.7, which is considered a moderate G2-level storm.
Officials are warning that some US states could see power fluctuations into the evening during the solar storm. A map shows that some states have already experienced issues (yellow and orange
The increased activity in Earth’s magnetic field has been caused by a stream of fast-moving particles coming from a hole in the sun’s atmosphere, called a coronal hole.
This stream of particles, known as solar wind, has been traveling at speeds of up to 500 miles per second.
The Interplanetary Magnetic Field, which is the magnetic field carried by the solar wind through space, has been shifting southward several times.
These shifts can make the Earth’s magnetic field more disturbed.
As a result, the geomagnetic storm has been at G1 (Minor) to G2 (Moderate) levels on the NOAA Space Weather Scale, which is a system used by scientists to describe the strength of space weather storms.
Imagine a strong gust of wind hitting a flagpole. These storms are measured on a scale from G1 (minor, like a light breeze) to G5 (extreme, like a hurricane).
NOAA warned that geomagnetic storm conditions are likely to continue through the evening as a fast stream of solar wind, traveling at 430,000 to 500,000 miles per hour, continues to hit Earth.
In addition to the impacts on technology, the solar storm is expected to produce spectacular auroras, also known as northern lights.
NASA snapped an image of the sun on October 1 (pictured). The alert is due to holes on the surface, which are predicted to release particles that will impact Earth
These colorful light displays occur when charged particles from the sun collide with gases in Earth’s atmosphere, creating brilliant greens, pinks, reds, and purples.
Typically visible only near the poles, auroras may be seen further south during stronger geomagnetic storms.
In this case, residents in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and New York could catch a glimpse of the lights later Wednesday evening.
Experts advised that while the storm is unlikely to cause serious problems, operators of high-latitude power grids and satellite systems should monitor conditions, and amateur radio users may notice interference in high-frequency communications.
NOAA emphasized that geomagnetic storms are a natural part of space weather, caused by the sun’s dynamic activity, and typically subside once the fast-moving solar wind passes Earth.
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