Latest news with #G4Storm
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Milky sky caused by Canadian wildfires, big warm-up coming
High pressure will build in from the northwest, providing sunshine and a cool northerly flow that will hold temperatures to the 60s. The milky haze visible the past few days is the result of smoke from the Canadian wildfires filtering southeast and diffusing the sun's rays. Tonight will bring mostly clear skies, which may allow for a view of the northern lights created by a major (G4) geomagnetic storm early on June 1, but only if the smoke clears this evening. Morning readings will dip to the chilly mid-40s. A warm front will lift north across the state on Monday, as winds turn southerly, bringing summer-like conditions. A stray shower is possible later in the day over the western half of the state. Temperatures will rise into the mid- to upper 80s midweek, before a cold front pushes in from the west with showers and a few storms Thursday and Friday. Sunday: Hazy sunshine. High 69 Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 47 Monday: Mostly sunny, warmer. High 79 Tuesday: Sunny. High 85 (55) Wednesday: Partly cloudy. High 88 (66) Thursday: Scattered showers, storms. High 84 (69) Friday: Cloudy, showers. High 78 (67) Saturday: Partly sunny, stray shower. High 79 (62) Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Severe geomagnetic storm could shift Northern lights south
A coronal mass ejection, or CME, was observed on Friday, May 30th. This sudden eruption of solar material and magnetic fields has prompted a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Monday, June 2. A severe geomagnetic storm is a 4 out of 5 strength level storm. It's important to note that this is just a watch based on the potential strength of the storm when it reaches Earth. This means it could indeed be a G4-level geomagnetic storm, but it could also be weaker. An observation of the storm coming towards Earth will take place once the storm reaches a solar wind observatory spacecraft 1 million miles away from Earth. Sounds like science fiction, but this technology exists. A storm of this magnitude may shift the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) much farther south than usual. In fact, if the forecasted strength of the storm becomes reality, then parts of Alabama and California could see the aurora! This would mean they would also be visible in the Ozarks Sunday night and Monday night. The aurora rarely shifts this far south, but it does happen on occasion. The last time we saw the Northern lights in the Ozarks was just last year on May 10, 2024, when another G4-level storm watch was issued. Before that? The previous G4-level storm watch was back in January 2005. The current forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center calls for a Kp index of 7.67. The Kp index is an abbreviated form of the German word 'planetarische kennziffer', which translates to 'planetary index' in English. It has a scale from 0 (none) to 9 (most intense) to measure the strength of a geomagnetic storm. A Kp index of 5 or greater indicates a strong geomagnetic storm and can sometimes shift the Northern Lights farther south into the mid-latitudes. It doesn't always pan out in our favor to see the Northern lights in the Ozarks, despite the predicted storm strength. However, it's still fascinating to think that we may be able to catch a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis Sunday night and Monday night. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
