Overview
- NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center is watching for G2 geomagnetic conditions on December 3–4 following a CME tied to an X1.9 flare late November 30.
- The CME, seen in SOHO/LASCO imagery at roughly 1,000 km/s, is modeled to pass north and east of Earth, with a flank potentially compressing the magnetosphere.
- Auroras could be visible to about 55° geomagnetic latitude, including the northern U.S. from Washington to Michigan, southern Canada, and parts of northern and central Europe, subject to local conditions.
- The X1.9 flare caused an HF radio blackout over Australia and parts of Southeast Asia, and reports differ on its source region, with attributions to AR 4295/4299 rather than the massive AR 4294–96 complex.
- The AR 4294–96 sunspot cluster, classified beta-gamma-delta and now Earth-facing, keeps the risk elevated for additional M- to X-class flares, with agencies advising continued monitoring for satellite, power, and radio impacts.