{"id":804237,"date":"2026-11-11T01:29:34","date_gmt":"2026-11-11T06:29:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=804237"},"modified":"2026-11-11T01:29:34","modified_gmt":"2026-11-11T06:29:34","slug":"northern-lights-are-possible-at-high-latitudes-on-november-17-and-18-as-noaa-forecasts-minor-g1-geomagnetic-storms-from-coronal-hole-wind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=804237","title":{"rendered":"Northern lights are possible at high latitudes on November 17 and 18 as NOAA forecasts minor (G1) geomagnetic storms from coronal hole wind"},"content":{"rendered":"


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A high-speed solar wind stream from a large negative-polarity coronal hole pushed Earth\u2019s magnetic field to G1 \u2013 Minor geomagnetic storm levels late on November 7, 2026. The planetary Kp index reached 5.33 during the 18:00\u201321:00 UTC period and returned to 5.00 between 00:00 and 03:00 UTC on November 8.1, 2<\/sup><\/p>\n

NOAA\u2019s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) had issued a G1 \u2013 Minor geomagnetic storm watch at 19:04 UTC on November 4 and extended it twice, at 17:45 UTC on November 5 and 06:26 UTC on November 7, the last version covering November 7, 8 and 9. A warning for Kp 5 followed at 19:35 UTC on November 7, valid until 21:00 UTC on November 8, and the Kp 5 threshold was crossed at 19:45 UTC on November 7 and again at 02:03 UTC on November 8.2<\/sup><\/p>\n

Activity did not reach G2 \u2013 Moderate (Kp 6) at any point during the event. After the second G1 interval, the field stayed mostly unsettled, with Kp at 4.00 again between 18:00 and 21:00 UTC on November 8. SWPC kept a Kp 4 warning in effect from 05:56 UTC on November 9 through 12:00 UTC on November 10.2, 3<\/sup><\/p>\n

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Observed planetary Kp index (colored bars) and SWPC forecast (hatched) for November 5\u201313, 2026. Data: NOAA SWPC. Chart: The Watchers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

At G1 levels, SWPC says weak power grid fluctuations can occur, minor impacts on satellite operations are possible, and aurora may be visible at high latitudes, including the northern tier of the U.S. such as northern Michigan and Maine. Under G2 conditions, which some forecasts had raised as a possibility for the weekend, aurora can be seen as low as New York, Wisconsin and Washington state.2<\/sup><\/p>\n

SWPC attributed the rise in activity at the end of the week to the onset of a negative-polarity coronal hole high-speed stream (CH HSS). Coronal holes are regions where the Sun\u2019s magnetic field opens into space, allowing solar wind to escape faster than from the surrounding corona. They appear dark in extreme ultraviolet imagery because the plasma there is cooler and less dense. The hole responsible for this stream crossed the center of the visible solar disk on November 5 and 6, when it faced Earth.4<\/sup><\/p>\n

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Coronal hole near the center of the solar disk on November 5, 2026. Credit: NASA SDO\/AIA 193, Helioviewer, The Watchers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n