Metro Vancouverites may see colourful dancing lights low on the horizon over the Canada Day long weekend, weather permitting.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a minor (G1) geomagnetic storm watch for Friday, June 28 due to a coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred on June 25.
The agency will continue to monitor conditions and provide updates on G1 storm conditions.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) calls for high auroral activity on Friday with active displays possible "overhead from Inuvik, Yellowknife, Rankin, and Iqaluit to Juneau, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, and Sept-Iles, and visible low on the horizon from Seattle, Des Moines, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and Halifax" (see slide two).
The northern lights will also be visible low on the horizon in Vancouver during this time.
The university's online aurora monitor map shows what regions the aurora's green glow will likely reach and other areas where it is less likely. Additionally, there is a brief description below the map of the aurora activity on that particular day. You can switch to other days to see the forecast, too.
A second opportunity for viewing the northern lights in Metro Vancouver
The UAF also expects the aurora will be highly active on Saturday in the same areas, with possible displays low on the horizon in Seattle and Vancouver (see slide three).
The colours of the aurora often appear grey or milky when looking at the sky; the human eye doesn't always pick up colour at night, particularly when it is very dark.
While a camera with a long exposure is useful for capturing the vibrancy of the aurora, the newest cellphones have a darklight mode that will also capture colours the human eye can't see at night.
The Metro Vancouver weather forecast includes varying conditions over the long weekend. While some showers are included in the forecast on Saturday night, Friday is expected to be dry with cloudy periods. However, no major storm is expected to roll through and conditions could evolve.
Environment Canada's online cloud prediction tool for astronomical purposes shows how clear the sky might be throughout the day.
V.I.A.'s Downtown Centre Weatherhood station shows a mix of sun and cloud for Friday during the day with a high of 19 C with a low of 13 C. Saturday's forecast includes similar conditions, with a high of 21 C with a low of 15 C.
Stay up-to-date with hyperlocal forecasts across 50 neighbourhoods in the Lower Mainland with V.I.A.'s Weatherhood.
