Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, warning that a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) ejected in recent days could arrive late Tuesday night into early Wednesday and spark severe geomagnetic storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said those storms may produce bright auroras visible across much of the northern United States — and possibly as far south as Alabama and Northern California — while also posing short-term risks to radio and GPS services. How vivid the displays become and how far south they are seen will depend on the timing and magnetic orientation of the incoming solar material when it encounters Earth’s magnetosphere. Officials urged utilities, satellite operators and communications providers to monitor updates and be ready for temporary disturbances.
Key Takeaways
- NOAA issued an alert on Nov. 11, 2025, after multiple coronal mass ejections left the Sun and were expected to reach Earth late Tuesday into early Wednesday.
- Forecasters warned of potential severe geomagnetic storms that could temporarily disrupt HF radio and GPS navigation systems across affected regions.
- Auroras may spread across much of the northern U.S., with skyglow possibly visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California depending on storm strength.
- The Sun is near the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, increasing the frequency and intensity of CMEs this year.
- Last year saw the strongest geomagnetic storm in about 20 years, and earlier historical events (1859, 1972) demonstrate how solar storms can have tangible impacts on infrastructure.
- Forecasting can predict arrivals days in advance but cannot fix exact peak timing and strength until the solar plasma is tracked en route.
- NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center and aurora apps are the primary public sources for real-time advisories and viewing forecasts.
Background
The Sun follows an approximately 11-year cycle of magnetic activity; at solar maximum, sunspots, flares and coronal mass ejections become more frequent. CMEs are large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the solar corona that travel outward and can intersect Earth’s magnetic environment. When those charged particles interact with Earth’s magnetosphere, they can energize atmospheric atoms and molecules and create visible auroras, typically near polar latitudes.
Solar activity has ramped up in the current cycle, producing several notable episodes over the past year, including what forecasters described as the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades in 2024. Space weather agencies such as NOAA and NASA monitor the Sun with satellites and ground-based instruments, issuing watches and warnings once a CME is observed and its trajectory and speed are estimated. However, key details — such as the exact arrival time and the orientation of the CME’s magnetic field — only become clear as the material approaches, which limits precise long-range forecasting.
Main Event
Over the past few days the Sun emitted several CMEs that forecasters determined were Earth-directed. NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center flagged the stream of events on Nov. 11, 2025, indicating the leading disturbances were expected to encounter Earth’s magnetosphere late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. The center categorized the potential as able to reach G3 (severe) levels depending on the magnetic configuration on arrival.
The visible outcome of those interactions is auroral activity. If the CMEs carry a southward-oriented magnetic field (opposite Earth’s), they are more likely to reconnect strongly with Earth’s magnetic field and drive intense geomagnetic activity. Under such conditions, auroras that normally hug high latitudes can extend considerably farther south, producing colorful displays over regions that rarely see them.
Beyond spectacle, space weather can temporarily affect systems that rely on radio-frequency propagation and satellite signals. HF radio used by aviation and maritime operations can experience blackouts, while GPS positioning accuracy may degrade. Satellite operators may place spacecraft into protective modes during peak charging conditions, and grid operators sometimes take precautionary steps to reduce stress on transformers during strong geomagnetic currents.
Analysis & Implications
Severe solar storms present a mix of optical wonder and infrastructure risk. For the public, the immediate implication is broadly positive: more frequent and more southerly auroras for observers, especially where skies are dark and clear. Those displays encourage public interest in science and can spur short-term tourism to dark-sky areas and parks.
For critical infrastructure, the risks are operational and economic. Shortwave radio blackouts disrupt certain long-range communications, and degraded GPS signals affect precision timing and navigation used in aviation, shipping and financial networks. Satellite anomalies can interrupt communications and Earth-observation services. Utilities face geomagnetically induced currents that can stress high-voltage transformers; operators may implement mitigation actions such as adjusting load or reconfiguring networks during strong storms.
Longer-term implications hinge on preparedness and resilience measures. Improved forecasting and timely alerts give operators hours to days to enact protective steps, but many systems were designed assuming infrequent extreme events. Recurrent solar activity during a solar maximum increases the probability of cumulative or compound impacts over months, which argues for investments in hardening, redundancy, and coordinated public-sector response plans to reduce vulnerability.
Comparison & Data
| Year | Event | Notable Impacts |
|---|---|---|
| 1859 | Carrington Event | Auroras as far south as Hawaii; telegraph systems sparked and failed |
| 1972 | Midwind Storm | Reported detonations of magnetic sea mines off Vietnam; satellite anomalies |
| 2024 | Strong geomagnetic storm | Widespread auroras across Northern Hemisphere; notable satellite and navigation disturbances |
This table places the current alerts in historical context: extreme storms have produced visible auroras at low latitudes and caused infrastructure damage. While modern systems are better monitored, they are also more dependent on space-based technologies, increasing potential systemic effects. The immediate events forecast for Nov. 11–12, 2025, are smaller than the Carrington event in documented intensity but still significant in the modern technological context.
Reactions & Quotes
Officials emphasized monitoring and readiness. The alert from NOAA prompted briefings with utility and aviation partners and raised public interest in aurora viewing opportunities.
“We are tracking multiple Earth-directed CMEs and advising partners to prepare for possible G3-level geomagnetic activity over the next 24–36 hours.”
NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (official alert)
The scientific community noted the broader pattern driving the increased activity.
“The Sun is near solar maximum in its 11-year cycle, which elevates the frequency of strong eruptions that can affect Earth.”
NASA solar physicist (summary of agency guidance)
Public reaction mixed practical caution with excitement. Park officials and astronomy groups saw increased interest in northern-light watching, while operators of satellites and critical infrastructure reviewed mitigation steps advised by space-weather centers.
Unconfirmed
- The precise arrival time and peak intensity of the incoming CMEs remain uncertain until in-situ solar-wind measurements approach Earth.
- Predictions that auroras will be visible in specific cities (beyond the broad southward limits such as Alabama or Northern California) depend on local cloud cover and exact storm strength and so cannot be guaranteed.
- Reports of specific service outages (satellite failures, transformer damage) linked to this particular event were not confirmed at the time of the alert.
Bottom Line
The incoming solar material offers skygazers across the northern U.S. a real chance to see striking auroras, possibly in places that seldom experience them. At the same time, NOAA’s alert is a reminder that solar storms are not merely visual phenomena: they can create short-term disruptions to radio, navigation and satellite services.
Agencies and operators should use the hours and days of lead time to apply practical mitigations — from adjusting satellite orientations to preparing grid-control measures — while the public can plan safe aurora-watching with dark skies and flexible timing. Continued investment in space-weather forecasting, infrastructure resilience and cross-sector coordination will reduce the risks of future, more extreme solar events.
Sources
- NPR — News report on solar storms and auroras (news outlet)
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (official U.S. government space-weather forecasts and alerts)
- NASA — Sun and solar cycle information (agency science resources)