Aurora borealis forecast to shimmer over Kamloops, Okanagan this weekend

Residents looking for a night sky aurora borealis show in Kamloops and the Okanagan could get lucky this weekend as forecasters at the space weather prediction centre have issued strong geomagnetic storm watches until Oct. 6.

A pair of coronal mass ejections — eruptions of solar material — are heading to Earth where they could interact with our magnetic field and trigger the geomagnetic storms that create the aurora borealis, according to the space weather forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

The sun has an 11-year cycle and is hitting a solar maximum this year. While northern lights are more frequently observed further north of Kamloops and the Okanagan, residents have been enjoying more aurora activity this year since a big aurora borealis display in May.

The increase in solar activity has also resulted in more solar flares — eruptions of energy from the sun — with the last two occurring on Oct. 1 and Oct. 3.

While predicting the northern lights remains an impossible task, the weather is forecast to cooperate somewhat.

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In Kamloops, overnight skies are predicted to be clear tonight, Oct. 4 and cloudy the following night.

Throughout the Okanagan there is a 30 percent chance of rain overnight tonight, Oct. 4 but the following night looks promising with periods of clouds. 

Don’t forget to find a place away from city light pollution and face toward the north to best view northern lights.

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