Geomagnetic storm may cause Northern Lights to be visible in Vancouver

The skies might not be the clearest in Vancouver this week, but there’s “active to high” auroral activity forecasted for Thursday, October 3rd and Friday, October 4th – which means there’s still a fair chance of catching the green and purple glow of the Northern Lights!

So grab your warm layers and get ready to head to a low-light area near Vancouver, ASAP.

When to see the Northern Lights

According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), active auroral displays may be visible overhead “from locations such as Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin and Iqaluit, Canada, to Vancouver, Helena, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Bay City, Toronto and Montpelier, U.S.A., and Charlottetown, Canada.”

This is echoed by the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, which says that a “strong” (R3) solar flare will be produced at 12:18 UTC (5 am PST) on Thursday, October 3rd.

According to the NOAA, the greatest three-hour Kp index for October 3rd to October 5th is 7.0 (G3) – which is considered a strong geomagnetic storm. 

On Friday, October 4th, auroral activity is expected to remain at its highest until 8 pm.

Weather forecast

In terms of the weather, Environment Canada forecasts a “mix of sun and cloud” on Thursday, October 3rd until 7 pm, when it becomes cloudier.

Friday, October 4th has rain in the forecast all day, so your chances are definitely better in terms of viewing experience on Thursday. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be impossible to see a faint green glow on either day!

So there you have it, Vancouver. Fingers crossed the skies spontaneously clear up!

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