Space Weather Physicist. Forecasting aurora, GPS, HF radio and radiation issues during solar storms.
Just like terrestrial weather on Earth, Space Weather can be as mild as a rainstorm or as wild as a hurricane. Let The Space Weather Woman and this vibrant community show you in non-science jargon how this new kind of weather impacts your daily life. You will never look at the Sun or the Earth in the same way again. After all, Space Weather is just like the weather in your own backyard, it’s just a little further up.
05/28/2026
Farside flare players rotate into Earth view this week! Over 10 active regions grace the Sun's east limb firing flares and solar storms. Streamer blowouts hit amid some fast solar wind, giving us a bumpy ride throughout this week. Learn the details in the newest forecast up now: https://www.patreon.com/posts/159443181
Here is the latest activity from our Sun. Quite a few new regions are rotating into view, which means more activity is coming our way. Working on a full forecast now!
The eruption yesterday from Region 4436 looks like it will only give us a glancing blow sometime early on May 19. However, on the farside some real activity is brewing! On the Sun's farside old Region 4429 has been growing like gangbusters. Not only that, another sunspot cluster has emerged nearby causing strong instability. In the past 2 days it's fired 4 X-class flares & 13 M-class flares while in Solar Orbiter's view. This region is showing signs of being a "last gasp" region with so much extreme activity. We should be seeing it rotate onto the East limb in about 6 days. (The raw imagery flickers so much because the exposure is constantly changing due to the flares!)
05/15/2026
The fast solar wind is now giving us sustained southward field so aurora is dropping down to mid-latitudes now! Although the Ovation model was overestimating aurora viewing earlier today, that is no longer the case. Expect views to continue to brighten over the next several hours at least. The new moon tonight also means skies should be exceptionally dark! Perfect for viewing where skies are clear!
05/12/2026
The new forecast is up! Find out some lesser-known details of the recent M5.8-flare & solar storm launch, including the effect on a nearby coronal hole. See when the next chance for aurora is & why amateur radio operators get a short reprieve from radio blackouts! https://youtu.be/qLnkogEGx5A
05/04/2026
Just returning from the Space Weather Workshop in time for a nice solar storm! This one is strong enough to bump us past G2-levels momentarily, but because the storm is slow, aurora shows at mid-latitudes might remain substorm driven. Watch for them over the next 12+ hours!
Wahoo! Our Sun's northern hemisphere is waking up again. We've had two near R2-level radio blackouts today including an M4.95-flare from Region 4419, which is nearing the west limb. Two other regions are also firing, Region 4420 and a region on the farside that will rotate into Earth-view over the next couple of days. Impacts to radio communication have been mild thus far, with only momentary degradation to the HF and VHF bands on Earth's dayside. But we could see more long-lasting radio blackouts over the next few days if these regions continue to grow.
04/17/2026
Get ready for some aurora weather with an added sparkle from the Lyrid meteor shower. With the new moon, skies should be perfect for viewing. Meanwhile, twin regions emerge simultaneously inside several coronal holes, hinting at the Sun's deepest secrets: https://www.patreon.com/posts/155749745
Our Sun keeps things quiet with only minor flare activity and fast solar wind. Perfect weather for the Artemis II splashdown! Expect more of the same, with aurora remaining at high latitudes and a low risk for radio blackouts. Early next week, activity might rise with new regions rotating into view.
04/03/2026
Big Surprise Hit! Multiple solar storms launched over the past several days, with most expected to be glancing blows. But one of them is hitting early and more on target than predictions show. Upstream satellite monitors indicate a strong impact, with a large southward field, meaning aurora is building quickly. Along with the fast wind already hitting, this means Earth is preconditioned to storm. Expect G3, possibly G4 levels with this one!
