John Homenuk

Solar storm causes dazzling aurora display

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A large solar storm, owing to a CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) from the sun, caused a dazzling display of Aurora Borealis on Tuesday evening throughout the high and mid latitudes. More commonly known as the Northern Lights, the phenomenal display was one of the best in recent memory — with the color along the horizon visible as far south as Pennsylvania and parts of Long Island. Thousands ran to their cameras and took incredible long-exposure shots of the colors, which danced throughout the northern sky as a result of the aforementioned geomagnetic storm.

The aurora is visible as a result of energized solar particles flying toward Earth from the sun. When they reach Earth, the Earths magnetic field and atmosphere react. These energized particles “excite” atoms and molecules — causing them to light up and create the amazing colors we see. Yes, this is a “bare minimum” explanation, but we’ll keep things simple for now. The solar storm on Tuesday was quite strong — one of the strongest in recent memory with direct impacts on earth. The kP index, used to measure the impacts of these storms on Earth, rose to 8 for a prolonged period of time — which is quite anomalous. Typically, values of 7 or higher are required for our area to see visible aurora.

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John Homenuk

Not done yet: Light snow likely on Friday

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I can almost hear the collective groan of thousands throughout the New Jersey and New York City area. Yes, snow is returning to the forecast and it will bring the potential for a few inches of snow on this coming Friday. A low pressure system approaching from the Ohio Valley will move through the Mid Atlantic states on Friday, spreading moisture north of it into the Northern Mid Atlantic states. As moisture surges north into the cold sector, snow will develop within a small axis from West to East on Friday.

While the low pressure system is fairly weak, and passing well to our south, the increase in moisture and lift should be just enough to allow for snow to develop. Light snow is expected as early as Friday morning, especially over Western parts of the forecast area. With increased lift for precipitation, steady snow is expected during the day on Friday. The low pressure system will eventually shift offshore, allowing for lightening precipitation and clearing overnight Friday into Saturday.

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