LOOK UP: Northern lights could put on a show in Kamloops and the Okanagan this week

The next few nights could provide the best opportunity this year to view the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, in Kamloops and the Okanagan.

The Space Weather Prediction Centre is forecasting a geomagnetic storm for Dec. 9 to 11, calling for potentially strong storm levels tonight, Dec. 10 which happens to be when skies are expected to clear.

The centre says the increased geomagnetic activity over the next few days is the result of a solar flare that was observed on Dec. 7. While the prediction centre is “fairly confident the solar flare or Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) will arrive at Earth, the timing and geomagnetic storm intensity are less certain.”

The Thrillist Backyard Observatory website says the next few nights’ of northern lights should be visible as far south as the northern continental U.S., in what it says could be the biggest magnetic storms of the year.

Auroras can be difficult to predict with precision, as they have stops and starts known as sub-storms. To observe them, a bit of patience and luck is helpful.

The University of Alberta has an aurora watch alert page observers can subscribe to. The page will issue an alert depending on the probability of an aurora on a given night.

Local night viewing should be ideal, especially after tonight.

Environment Canada says nighttime skies should clear up over the next few days.

Cloudy skies are expected overnight tonight for Kamloops and the Okanagan, with cloudy periods in Kamloops and clear skies in the Okanagan overnight Thursday.

Clear skies are expected to continue through Friday night in both Kamloops and the Okanagan.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

Steve Arstad's Stories

More Articles

Leave a Reply