[PPRAANet] Solar Storm

[Douglas Hagerman]

I am wondering whether in this situation it would be a good idea to minimize the amount of sensitive equipment plugged into the grid. Radios with “soft” power switches? Electric cars?

Doug, W0UHU.



> On Oct 10, 2024, at 5:22 PM, Jim Madsen via PPRAANet <ppraanet at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
> 
> It hit at 15:00 Z today.  And it is getting stronger.  Estimated Planetary K-Index (K sub p) = 8.33 -- that's a G4 class storm (G5 is the highest).  And the B sub z component of the interplanetary field is south at -39.67 nT.  The only time I've seen it stronger was during the solar storm in 2003 (I think), when the B sub z was pegged at -60.  The sky was red with aurora back then (didn't have a rig, so couldn't try auroral propagation).  I just turned on my rig, and 10 meters still sounds pretty normal -- didn't hear anything on 6.
> 
> Jim K3ILC
> 
> On 10/10/2024 2:25 PM, Douglas Nielsen via PPRAANet wrote:
>> Severe solar storm could stress power grids even more as US deals with major back-to-back hurricanes
>> (ASSOCIATED PRESS | OCT 09, 2024) By MARCIA DUNN
>> 
>> A severe solar storm is headed to Earth that could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals
>> with major back-to-back hurricanes, space weather forecasters said Wednesday.
>> 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.
>> 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 (1.6 million kilometers) 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.
>> Skygazers are reminded to point their smartphones upward for photos; the devices often can
>> capture auroras that human eyes cannot.
>> May’s solar storm produced dazzling auroras across the Northern Hemisphere and resulted in no
>> major disruptions.
>> The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking all the recent solar activity.
>> 
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> PPRAANet mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ppraanet
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:PPRAANet at mailman.qth.net
>> 
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> ______________________________________________________________
> PPRAANet mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ppraanet
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:PPRAANet at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html