What to KnowSpace weather forecasters say a severe solar storm heading to Earth could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes and lead to a larger area of visible northern lights. A severe geomagnetic storm watch has been issued for Thursday into Friday. Experts do not expect the storm to surpass the extreme solar storm that hit Earth in May. That one was the strongest to strike in more than two decades. “Never ever saw the northern lights?” Well, that could change Thursday night into Friday morning without even needing to leave the Philadelphia region. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals, but also deliver a colorful sky. The G4 magnetic storm is forecasted by the Space Weather Prediction Center of the NOAA for Thursday night into early Friday morning. G4 storms in the past have created an aurora “seen as low as Alabama and northern California.” This is the second time in less than a week that there is a chance for northern lights this far south. What’s the best way to catch a glimpse of the northern lights near Philadelphia? In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the coronal mass ejection (CME) could allow for auroras to be visible down to the Philadelphia region, according to SWPC’s map. Map shows the likely to see an aurora the night of Oct. 10, 2024, into Oct. 11, 2024. Folks in the Lehigh Valley. Poconos and less populated Pennsylvania and New Jersey suburbs will have the best chance to view the aurora. It those area there is less light pollution. Luckily, skies are expected to be clear throughout the region overnight, NBC10 First Alert Weather meteorologist Michelle Rotella said. Be sure to bundle up however, as temps are expected to dip into the 40s and even 30s overnight. The best time to possibly catch a glimpse of the northern light is between 9 p.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday. Skygazers are reminded to point their smartphones upward for photos; the devices often can capture auroras that human eyes cannot. What is a geomagnetic storm? “A geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth’s magnetosphere that occurs when there is a very efficient exchange of energy from the solar wind into the space environment surrounding Earth,” NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center says. “These storms result from variations in the solar wind that produces major changes in the currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere. The solar wind conditions that are effective for creating geomagnetic storms are sustained (for several to many hours) periods of high-speed solar wind, and most importantly, a southward directed solar wind magnetic field (opposite the direction of Earth’s field) at the dayside of the magnetosphere. This condition is effective for transferring energy from the solar wind into Earth’s magnetosphere.” the storms can occur at anytime of day, but are not always visible. The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking all the recent solar activity. Not all is fun with a severe geomagnetic storm as power grids can be affected NOAA has notified operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft to take precautions. It also alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the organization copes with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gears up for Hurricane Milton barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida. Forecasters do not expect the latest solar storm to surpass the one that slammed Earth in May, the strongest in more than two decades. But they won’t know for sure until it’s just 1 million miles away, where spacecraft can measure it. Florida is far enough south to avoid any power disruptions from the solar surge unless it gets a lot bigger, said scientist Rob Steenburgh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center. “That adds a little bit more to the comfort level,” Steenburgh said. “Why we’re here is to let them know so that they can prepare.” Experts are more concerned about potential effects to the power grids in areas slammed by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl. The storm also may trigger northern lights as far south in the U.S. as the lower Midwest and Northern California, though exact locations and times are uncertain, according to NOAA. Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox.