Mother Nature may provide locals with several opportunities to see the northern lights this week.
The Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes mostly clear skies from Monday, April 21, through Thursday, with temperatures increasing up to highs of 24 C in some areas.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) observed a G1 (minor) geomagnetic storm over the past 24 hours and states that G1 (minor) to G2 (moderate) ones are possible from Monday through Wednesday.
Moderate solar storms can cause weak power grid fluctuations, affect migratory animals, and commonly make the aurora visible at high latitudes (northern Michigan and Maine), according to the SWPC.
Last week, the centre noted that a coronal mass ejection that left the sun created a geomagnetic response on Earth the potential for a strong solar storm.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) indicates that the aurora may be highly active during the day on Monday, but Metro Vancouverites won't spot them during the daytime. Instead, the wee hours of Tuesday provide the best opportunities, with opportunities to view "active displays" overhead from locations such as Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit to Juneau, Alaska, and Edmonton, Winnipeg and Sept-Iles.
The dancing lights may also be "isible low on the horizon from Vancouver to Ottawa to St. John's, as well as several places in the United States (see slide two).
Other opportunities to view the northern lights in Metro Vancouver
The university's online aurora monitor map shows what regions the aurora's green glow will likely reach and other areas where it is less likely. Additionally, a brief description of the aurora activity is below the map. You can switch to different days to see the forecast, too.
Locals may have another opportunity to view green manifestation on Wednesday, as the aurora is also expected to be highly active and visible in the same areas (such as the Lower Mainland) (see slide three).
The wee hours of Thursday present the final viewing opportunity for Metro Vancouverites. The UAF expects the aurora will be "highly active" with overhead displays possible auroral displays possible from "Inuvik to Iqaluit, Juneau to Edmonton, and Winnipeg to Thunder Bay. They may stretch down further south on Thursday, with displays possible low on the horizon in Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and Halifax. As such, locals may have an even better chance of viewing them (see slide four).
Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal weather forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with Weatherhood.
