NOAA Issues G1 Geomagnetic Storm Watch for October 19-20; Northern Lights Possible Across Northern U.S.
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center issued a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm watch on October 18 for October 19 and 20, with the greatest risk expected late on October 19 into October 20.
According to the center, the watch was prompted by a positive-polarity coronal hole high-speed stream expected to become geoeffective late on October 19 and continue through October 20. Solar activity remains at low levels, with no Earth-directed coronal mass ejections observed.
Potential impacts from a G1 storm are concentrated poleward of 60 degrees geomagnetic latitude and may include weak power grid fluctuations and minor effects on satellite operations. For the public, the main draw is the aurora: high-latitude northern lights may be visible from the northernmost parts of the United States, including northern Michigan and Maine.
Actual viewing will depend on storm strength and local cloud cover. Geomagnetic activity is expected to drop below G1 levels after the watch period.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 夜空中的极光（资料图）。图：Stephan Sprinz／Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 4.0。Aurora in the night sky (file photo). Photo: Stephan Sprinz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
