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SpaceWeatherTracker · NOAA sources

Aurora Alerts & Weekly Space Weather Briefing

Read official NOAA space weather notices here and subscribe to a weekly briefing. The email subscription is weekly editorial coverage, not real-time SMS or guaranteed local aurora alerts.

Latest geomagnetic reading

Kp 3.0

Below geomagnetic storm threshold

NOAA interval begins

Kp summarizes a three-hour interval. The page checks sources every five minutes; that is not NOAA's observation cadence.

Weekly Space Weather Briefing

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The Weekly Space Weather Briefing covers the outlook and sky-watching context. A weekly schedule cannot notify you of every short-lived aurora opportunity. Unsubscribe any time.

What NOAA notices mean

A watch signals increased risk, a warning concerns an expected, imminent or occurring event, and an alert reports a threshold that has been reached. Check each product’s issue time and any stated validity period.

An alert is not a sighting

A geomagnetic alert is evidence of magnetic disturbance, not proof of visible aurora in your town. Check your location’s forecast, darkness and clouds before heading out.

Want conditions right now?

Use the aurora forecast and live notices on this page. Do not wait for a weekly email when making a same-night observing decision.

  • warning

    Kp 4 Geomagnetic Activity Warning

    Issued

    NOAA product text
    Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
    Serial Number: 5434
    Issue Time: 2026 Oct 13 1431 UTC
    
    EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
    Extension to Serial Number: 5433
    Valid From: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
    Now Valid Until: 2026 Oct 13 2100 UTC
    Warning Condition: Persistence
    
    
    NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
    www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
    
    Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
    Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
    Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.
  • warning

    Kp 4 Geomagnetic Activity Warning

    Issued · Valid to 2026-10-13T15:00:00.000Z

    NOAA product text
    Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
    Serial Number: 5433
    Issue Time: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
    
    WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected 
    Valid From: 2026 Oct 13 0115 UTC
    Valid To: 2026 Oct 13 1500 UTC
    Warning Conditions: Onset
    Comment: 
    
    NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
    www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
    
    Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
    Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
    Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.
  • watch · G1

    G1 Geomagnetic Storm Watch

    Issued

    NOAA product text
    Space Weather Message Code: WATA20
    Serial Number: 1129
    Issue Time: 2026 Oct 11 1911 UTC
    
    WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G1 Predicted 
    Highest Storm Level Predicted by Day:
    Oct 12:  None (Below G1)   Oct 13:  G1 (Minor)   Oct 14:  None (Below G1)   
    THIS SUPERSEDES ANY/ALL PRIOR WATCHES IN EFFECT
    Comment: 
    
    NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
    www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
    
    Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 60 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
    Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
    Spacecraft - Minor impact on satellite operations possible.
    Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes, i.e., northern tier of the U.S. such as northern Michigan and Maine.
  • cancelled · G2

    G2 Geomagnetic Storm Cancelled

    Issued

    NOAA product text
    Space Weather Message Code: WATA30
    Serial Number: 286
    Issue Time: 2026 Oct 11 1702 UTC
    
    CANCEL WATCH: Geomagnetic Storm Category G2 Predicted 
    Cancel Serial Number: 285
    Original Issue Time: 2026 Oct 09 1636 UTC
    Cancelled Level Predicted:
    Oct 11  : None (Below G1)  
    Conditions no longer warrant a G2 Watch.
    
    NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
    www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
    
    Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 55 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
    Induced Currents - Power grid fluctuations can occur. High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms.
    Spacecraft - Satellite orientation irregularities may occur; increased drag on low Earth-orbit satellites is possible.
    Radio - HF (high frequency) radio propagation can fade at higher latitudes.
    Aurora - Aurora may be seen as low as New York to Wisconsin to Washington state.
  • warning

    Kp 4 Geomagnetic Activity Warning

    Issued

    NOAA product text
    Space Weather Message Code: WARK04
    Serial Number: 5432
    Issue Time: 2026 Oct 11 0457 UTC
    
    EXTENDED WARNING: Geomagnetic K-index of 4 expected
    Extension to Serial Number: 5431
    Valid From: 2026 Oct 09 0128 UTC
    Now Valid Until: 2026 Oct 11 1200 UTC
    Warning Condition: Persistence
    
    
    NOAA Space Weather Scale descriptions can be found at
    www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation
    
    Potential Impacts: Area of impact primarily poleward of 65 degrees Geomagnetic Latitude.
    Induced Currents - Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
    Aurora - Aurora may be visible at high latitudes such as Canada and Alaska.

Recent products can include expired, superseded or cancelled notices. Read the original product before treating it as an active warning.

Sources and limitations

Independent interpretation by SpaceWeatherTracker; official measurements and notices are attributed to NOAA. Not for safety-of-life or operational decisions.