Overview
- NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has a geomagnetic storm watch for March 19, calling G2 activity likely with isolated G3 periods possible from the March 16 coronal mass ejection.
- Forecasters expect Kp values near 6 on a 0–9 scale, with a roughly 10% chance of a minor solar radiation storm associated with the event.
- Auroras could extend into roughly 19–20 U.S. states, with potential low-horizon sightings as far south as northern Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, depending on storm strength.
- Best viewing is typically between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. local time in dark, cloud-free areas, and faint displays may register more clearly on smartphone cameras than to the naked eye.
- A new moon on March 19 and the March 20 equinox statistically favor darker skies and stronger coupling for auroral activity, while local cloud cover will still determine who actually sees the lights.