The NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center has just issued a G3-level geomagnetic storm watch for tonight into tomorrow morning (11/30 – 12/1) due to multiple recent solar eruptions, which could bring the ‘Northern Lights‘ as far south as North Carolina.

CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections), which send plasma clouds towards Earth, can take 1-3 days to impact Earth’s atmosphere.

The US Geophysical Institute is now forecasting rare KP-7 event from the CMEs peaking tonight between 1am and 4am (the early morning of 12/1):

A M 9.8 solar flare from the recent CMEs has already caused a high-frequency radio blackout over the eastern South Pacific.

.@NOAA‘s #SUVI instrument onboard #GOESEast spotted a strong #SolarFlare yesterday.

The bright flare created temporary radio blackouts on the sunlit side of Earth and can be seen in this imagery just below the center of the sun. ✨

Learn more @NWSSWPC: https://t.co/j1hBahA71S pic.twitter.com/QgYKH9ouLj

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) November 29, 2023

Northern Lights lit up the North Carolina sky for the third time this year on Nov. 5th after an exceptionally powerful CME from the sun blasted our magnetosphere, similar to what is expected to happen tonight.

One of the most epic shots you’ll ever see of the #northernlights and the #MilkyWay This was over Waynesville, NC last night. Thanks for the photo Ezekiel Coppersmith. #scwx #ncwx pic.twitter.com/t1lWFfE2Py

— Ed Piotrowski (@EdPiotrowski) November 6, 2023

If you want to get your own shots of the stunning aurora tonight, you’ll need a long-exposure camera and a very dark place where you have an unobstructed view toward the northern sky. The best place would be a remote mountain top along the blue ridge parkway with north-facing views.

You can find the dark spots in your area using the official light pollution map here.

Happy aurora hunting!

Winter has arrived in North Carolina, bringing frost to the piedmont region and snow to the mountains.

This week’s sudden change in weather is allowing for the early opening of several Carolina ski resorts.

At Sugar Mountain Resort, the forecasted sub-freezing temperatures this week caused them to start cranking up the snow guns – now with 110 machines in action.

In a Facebook post, the resort notes; “10-30 inches of man-made powder coat 6 of 20 trails: Northridge, Switchback, Upper and Lower Flying Mile, Easy Street, and Magic Carpet area.”

According to the North Carolina Ski Areas Association, the state’s six ski resorts contribute over $225 million annually to the western North Carolina economy and provide employment for hundreds at each location.

Appalachian Ski Mountain is set to open on Thursday, with Beech Mountain Resort following on Saturday.

Here in Charlotte, we’ll likely only see one more freezing night this week.

Epsilon Advanced Materials, a refiner of synthetic graphite for electric vehicle batteries, is building its first US headquarters and manufacturing hub right here in North Carolina. They plan on spending $649.9 million on the sprawling new facility in Brunswick County and create at least 500 jobs, with an average salary of $52,264 (higher than the county’s current average of $46,464).

“This facility is the largest Indian investment in the U.S. electric vehicle battery industry and we’re proud to have North Carolina as the centerpiece of our U.S. manufacturing strategy,” said EAM Founder Vikram Handa in a press release. “Having an environmentally friendly world-class facility in North Carolina will allow EAM to provide synthetic and natural graphite anodes to the growing EV battery industry faster, more reliably and at a competitive cost.”

Originating from Mumbai, Epsilon’s cutting-edge graphite technology is crucial for fast-charging, durable, and safe lithium-ion batteries. This move positions them to tap into the surging demand for renewable energy storage.

This major investment is backed by a Job Development Investment Grant, which could reimburse the company up to $3.44 million over 12 years, based on job creation and investment targets. Plus, the project is projected to bolster the state’s economy by a whopping $1.3 billion!

Additionally, a portion of the grant will support rural infrastructure upgrades, benefiting communities across the state. This project is a collaborative effort, with partners including the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and several other state agencies and organizations.