Warning Issued For Power Grids In Minnesota + Wisconsin Due To Magnetic Storm

The Space Weather Prediction Center of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is warning states north of the 45th parallel that a geomagnetic storm could cause issues with electrical grids. This includes Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Several Coronal Mass Ejections were detected from the sun. They take time to travel to Earth, and we already had two arrive last night that were severe. This is what has been causing the Northern Lights to be seen further south than normal. The third, and largest CME, occurred and is expected to come into contact with Earth today.

The geomagnetic storm can cause havoc on satellites, GPS systems, and our Power Grid. Already being affected are the GPS accuracies, according to the Space Weather Prediction Center. G3 levels have already occurred, and G4 levels could still be reached today. Northern Lights are expected to be visible again tonight across most of North America.

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Infrastructure operators have been notified by the Space Weather Agency to mitigate any possible impacts.

Serious damage can occur from a strong geomagnetic storm. The Carrington Event of 1859 was the strongest storm ever recorded. The European Space Agency recently shared computer simulation models of what would happen if that happened today. A storm of that magnitude could completely wipe out our power grid, satellites, and other infrastructures. They, along with other space agencies, are working on coming up with early warning systems and solutions to the potential damage.

Many people witnessed the Northern Lights last night, and they are predicted to be visible again tonight.