AccuWeather.com - Weather Video - Could a Solar Flare Destroy the Earth?

AccuWeather.com - Weather Video - Could a Solar Flare Destroy the Earth?

Solar activity is ramping up in the year 2012; 


how harmful could it be? 


Click the link at the top to open the video; 
courtesy of AccuWeather

Tornado - Dexter, Michigan

A tornado touched down this afternoon right outside of Dexter, MI today.  An unconfirmed report stated that it was an EF3 and the NWS continued to report golf ball sized hail and severe thunderstorms and heavy rain for the area.  Thankfully they had storm sirens so an early warning helped ( Per CNN).  The Weather Channel reported that, so far there were no reported deaths or injuries.

I just spoke to a fellow photographer that lives an hour away from Dexter, and he said it missed his area..  He kindly shared a video he found online of the damaged area.. (Thanks John)

Here is another video, if you don't want to hear colorful language then turn down the volume first :)

I suggest everyone be weather aware, check your daily news for weather reports..

Better yet, buy a NOAA Weather Alert Radio..

 Be prepared for bad weather.

ATREX - NASA

This month NASA will launch 5 sounding rockets to reach a height of 60 - 65 miles above the surface of the Earth.  Called ATREX, which stands for, "The Anomalous Transport Rocket Experiment, is a project to study the High altitude Jet Streams which are higher than the  common jet streams used in weather forecasts. These High Jet Streams travel at incredible speeds up to 200- 300 miles an hour and are located near the area in our upper atmosphere that also has strong electrical currents triggered by solar radiation that reaches the Earth.  These strong electrical currents in the Ionosphere, have an effect on radio and communication satellites.  The five rockets that will be launched and possibly visible by those living near the Mid Atlantic area, will distribute a chemical tracer that will leave a milky clouds to track these Jet Streams.

Please be on the lookout for these five NASA rockets on March 15th, and may be seen sometime between midnight and 1:30 AM Eastern.  From the photo below you can see the area where cameras will be set up from New Jersey to North Carolina to view the pigmented clouds.

Correction:  * Latest update, Rockets launch postponed until Sunday, March 18th  *

Information and photo courtesy of NASA;  http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/sunearth/missions/atrex.html

Geomagnetic Storms Today

A strong Geomagnetic storm to hit the Earth today as a result of a Plasma Cloud or Coronal Mass Ejection from the Sun.  As of this morning it is at G1 level, but NOAA is stating that levels may reach G3 strength. You can see status changes here: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

Another issue is that there is a slight chance that an Aurora can be seen as far south as Pennsylvania tonight (3/12).

Here is a Map of where the Aurora is most likely visible tonight.