Equinox Aurora Alert
Spring begins Friday, March 20 at 10:46 a.m. ET — and forecasters expect exceptionally bright auroras on the night of March 20, making it a rare photo opportunity for landscape and night‑sky shooters. If you shoot nature, plan golden‑hour spring framing plus a night outing for aurora timelapses. (nbcnewyork.com) (foxweather.com)
NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a G2 (moderate) geomagnetic storm watch for March 19–21, citing the combined effects of a March 16 coronal mass ejection (CME) and incoming high‑speed solar wind from a coronal hole. (swpc.noaa.gov)) SWPC's public forecast shows a likely G2 on March 19 with the chance of isolated G3 (Kp=7) periods, then a lower‑level G1 (Kp=5) risk on March 20, and lists a G2 Watch for 19–21 March. (swpc.noaa.gov)) SpaceWeather.com reports model runs that predict a CME arrival on March 19 timed just hours before the northern vernal equinox, noting the Russell–McPherron geometrical effect can amplify geomagnetic activity at equinoxes. (spaceweather.com)) National and trade outlets differ slightly on reach: USA Today mapped aurora potential across about 19 U.S. states for this week, while Forbes reported forecasts suggesting visibility in over 20 states during peak storm intervals. (usatoday.com)) Forecasters and commentators flagged a New Moon on March 19, creating darker sky conditions that improve contrast for auroral photography on the nights of March 19–20. (forbes.com)) NOAA's experimental Aurora Viewline product shows the southernmost possible horizon viewline for North America using the OVATION model and maximum forecast Kp between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Central Time for each night. (swpc.noaa.gov)) For short‑notice planning, NOAA's Aurora 30‑Minute Forecast provides a 30–90 minute lead time based on L1 solar wind measurements; photographers and observatories have used that product to time timelapse sequences and public alerts. (swpc.noaa.gov))
