NOAA SEC Space Weather Outlook #01-16 — 24 Apr 2001
Official Space Weather Advisory issued by NOAA Space Environment Center
Boulder, Colorado, USA
SPACE WEATHER OUTLOOK #01- 16
2001 April 24 at 02:27 p.m. MDT (2001 April 24 2027 UT)
**** SPACE WEATHER OUTLOOK ****
Summary For April 16-22
Space weather reached category 3 (strong) levels on the NOAA Space
Weather Scale (SWS). A category S2 (moderate) solar radiation storm was
in progress as the period began, then ended on April 17. Another
category S2 radiation storm occurred during April 18 – 20. S2
radiation storms normally result in adverse effects, to varying
degrees, on spacecraft operations, high-frequency radio communication
in the polar regions, and navigation at the polar cap (for a more
compete list of system effects, please refer to the NOAA SWS). A
coronal mass ejection (CME) caused a category G3 (strong) geomagnetic
storm on April 18. Another CME caused a category G1 (minor) geomagnetic
storm on April 22. Geomagnetic storms normally result in adverse
effects, to varying degrees, on power systems, spacecraft operations,
high frequency radio communication, satellite navigation, and
low-frequency navigation. Intermittent category R1 (minor) radio
blackouts occurred during the period due to medium-sized solar flares.
Category R1 radio blackouts typically cause minor degradation of
high-frequency radio communication and low-frequency navigation
signals, limited to the sunlit side of Earth.
Outlook For April 25-May 1
Space weather is expected to reach category 2 (moderate) levels. A
large, magnetically complex sunspot group (NOAA Region 9433) may cause
isolated R2 (moderate) radio blackouts during the period. Region 9433,
which is being closely monitored by NOAA space weather forecast teams,
also appears capable of producing a category S1 (minor) radiation storm
during the period. No geomagnetic storms are expected, barring an
Earth-directed CME.
Data used to provide space weather services are contributed by NOAA,
USAF, NASA, NSF, USGS, the International Space Environment Services
and other observatories, universities, and institutions. More
information is available at SEC’s Web site http://sec.noaa.gov or
(303) 497-5127. The NOAA Public Affairs contact is Barbara McGehan
at bmcgehan@boulder.noaa.gov or (303) 497-6288.
