Intense Geomagnetic Storms Could Bring Aurora to Southern US Skies

The aurora could be visible across Canada and much of the northern tier of US states on Monday night, and possibly even further south, following a major disturbance in the Earth’s magnetic field, a forecast shows. The forecast, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s space weather prediction center, comes amid intense geomagnetic and solar radiation storms, said Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the center. The geomagnetic storms could lead to the aurora being visible far more south than the phenomenon is usually seen. But the storms can also interfere with satellite operations, GPS communications and other infrastructure, according to the US Geological Survey. The intensity of this storm has not been seen in more than two decades, Dahl said. The storm isn’t expected to become much weaker until sometime on Tuesday. In November, solar storms brought vibrant auroras to parts of Europe including Hungary and the United Kingdom, and as far south in the United States as Kansas, Colorado and Texas.