NOAA Space Weather Report
NOAA started this morning with another Solar Storm Watch Warning for a Geomagnetic G3 Storm K-index of 7 or greater at 04:25 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) on Wednesday 3-15-23.
In this Solar Maximum cycle Geomagnetic Solar storms affect on the planet and near-earth space could be extremely strong on Wednesday 3-15-23. Affected components could be spacecraft, power grids, navigation systems, and radio systems.
NOAA Space Weather Message Code: WARK07 Serial Number: 87 Issue Time: 2023 Mar 15 0425 UTC WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 7 or greater expected Valid From: 2023 Mar 15 0425 UTC Valid To: 2023 Mar 15 1200 UTC Warning Condition: Onset NOAA Scale: G3 or greater - Strong to Extreme Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 50 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude. Induced Currents - Power system voltage irregularities possible, false alarms may be triggered on some protection devices. Spacecraft - Systems may experience surface charging; increased drag on low Earth-orbit satellites and orientation problems may occur. Navigation - Intermittent satellite navigation (GPS) problems, including loss-of-lock and increased range error may occur. Radio - HF (high frequency) radio may be intermittent. Aurora - Aurora may be seen as low as Pennsylvania to Iowa to Oregon.
NOAA Space Weather Solar Geomagnetic Storm Scale
| Scale | Description | Effect / Reaction |
| G5* | Extreme | Power systems: Some power grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage. Spacecraft operations: May experience extensive surface charging, problems with orientation, uplink/downlink, and tracking satellites. Other systems: HF (high frequency) radio transmission may be impossible in many areas for days or more. |
| G4 | Severe | Power systems: Possible widespread voltage control problems and some protective systems will mistakenly trip out key assets from the grid. Spacecraft operations: Possible surface charging, tracking, and orientation problems. Other systems: HF radio propagation is sporadic, satellite navigation is degraded for hours, and low-frequency radio navigation is disrupted. |
| G3 | Strong | Power systems: Voltage corrections may be required, and false alarms triggered on some protection devices. Spacecraft operations: Surface charging and drag may increase on low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems. Other systems: Intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems may occur, and HF radio may be intermittent. |
| G2 | Moderate | Power systems: High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms, and long-duration storms may cause transformer damage. Spacecraft operations: Corrective actions required and possible changes in drag affect orbit predictions. Other systems: HF radio propagation can fade at higher latitudes. |
| G1 | Minor | Power systems: Weak power grid fluctuations can occur. Spacecraft operations: Minor impact on satellite operations possible. Other systems: Migratory animals are affected at G1 and higher levels. |
Additional Geomagnetic Storm Information
For additional information please see our articles “What To Do Before a G5 or Greater Geomagnetic Storm?” and “Should You Be Worried About Weather-Caused Power Grid Outages?”
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