Have you been itching to see the aurora's green glow descend across the Lower Mainland?
The Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes favourable conditions for viewing the northern lights over the next couple of days. Paired with stormy space weather, locals might get to see an awe-inspiring display of the dancing lights.
Tuesday, Nov. 7 started off windy but the evening forecast includes partly cloudy but dry conditions with temperatures falling to 5 C, according to V.I.A.'s Downtown Centre Weatherhood station.
Wednesday might see some precipitation during the day, but the evening forecast is dry and the skies are expected to clear.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center has a G2 (Moderate) geomagnetic storm watch in effect for Tuesday, primarily due to the behaviour of fast solar winds but also from the lingering effects of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) over the weekend.
The space center says more CMEs are in the forecast, with effects possibly lasting through Nov. 10.
On Tuesday, Nov. 7, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) called for the auroral activity to be "high," with viewings possible over an impressive portion of North America, including all of Canada.
While the aurora forecast typically notes that the northern lights may be viewable low on the horizon in Vancouver, Tuesday's display may actually be visible overhead across the area. It will also be possible to view them overhead in Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Toronto, and Charlottetown.
Lower on the horizon, it may be possible to view the dancing lights in cities as far south as Boise, Lincoln, Indianapolis, and Annapolis.
The university's online aurora monitor map shows what regions the aurora's green glow will likely reach, as well as other areas where there is less of a possibility. Additionally, there is a brief description below the map of the aurora activity on that particular day. You can switch to other days to see the forecast, too.
There is another opportunity to view the northern lights on Wednesday, with the UAF calling for "active" displays possible "overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to Juneau, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Sept-Iles, and visible low on the horizon from Vancouver, Great Falls, Pierre, Madison, Lansing, Ottawa, Portland, and St. Johns."
The UAF expects the northern lights will have a similar reach on Thursday as they did on Wednesday, meaning that displays could be viewable low on the horizon in Vancouver, weather permitting.
