Space weather today in West Chicago, IL

Space weather in West Chicago today

G1 minor geomagnetic storm forecast (NOAA, 2026-11-06 03:18 UTC). The planetary Kp index is 2 now and forecast to peak at Kp 5 in the next 24 hours. NOAA gives a 35% chance of R1–R2 radio blackouts today, 10% for R3 or stronger, and 5% for a solar radiation storm.

Radio: solar flares only black out HF radio on the half of Earth facing the Sun. The Sun is 52° below the horizon in West Chicago now (9:28 pm local time). The biggest flare in the past 24 hours was M3.5 at 12:33 pm local time, while West Chicago was in daylight, so HF radio here may have faded briefly. HF radio can fade at night during strong storms.

GPS and power: GPS is normally unaffected; strong G3+ storms can degrade precision positioning (surveying, farming RTK) for hours. Grid effects need G4–G5 storms here; the last big one was May 2024.

Aurora chance tonight in West Chicago

Unlikely tonight (Kp 2.3 forecast; needs about Kp 7 at West Chicago). At 50.7° N geomagnetic, West Chicago needs about Kp 7 for aurora low on the northern horizon.

At the forecast Kp 5, the aurora's visible edge stays about 283 km north of West Chicago.

NOAA 3-day space weather forecast

Chances that NOAA issues each level somewhere on Earth. Radio blackouts only affect the sunlit side; geomagnetic storms are global but strongest near the poles.

Strongest solar flares this week

C-class and stronger flares from the past 7 days, local time in West Chicago.

• M3.5 flare peak Thu 12:33 pm, R1 minor radio blackout
• C2.9 flare peak Thu 3:34 pm
• C2.5 flare peak Thu 6:24 pm
• C2.2 flare peak Wed 11:34 am
• C1.3 flare peak Thu 4:31 pm
• C1.2 flare peak Thu 4:21 pm
• C1.2 flare peak Wed 12:54 am
• C1.1 flare peak Thu 11:00 am
• C1.1 flare peak Tue 4:39 pm
• C1.1 flare peak Sun 6:36 am

What the scales mean

Space weather is the Sun's effect on Earth. NOAA rates it on three 1–5 scales. R (radio blackouts) comes from solar flares: X-rays reach Earth in 8 minutes and disrupt HF radio on the sunlit side for minutes to hours. S (solar radiation storms) comes from energetic protons a few hours later, a hazard for satellites, polar flights and astronauts. G (geomagnetic storms) comes 1–3 days after a coronal mass ejection or a fast solar-wind stream hits the magnetic field: it drives the aurora and can upset GPS, HF radio and power grids.

The Kp index (0–9) measures geomagnetic activity in 3-hour blocks: Kp 5 is a G1 storm, Kp 6 G2, Kp 7 G3, Kp 8 G4 and Kp 9 G5. Flares are classed A, B, C, M and X by peak X-ray brightness, each class ten times the one before; M1 flares cause R1 blackouts and X1 flares R3.

Space weather for nearby cities

• Space weather St. Charles, IL
• Space weather Bartlett, IL
• Space weather Aurora, IL
• Space weather Oswego
• Space weather Palatine
• Space weather Arlington Heights
• Space weather Wheeling
• Space weather Burbank, IL

More sky pages

• Space weather today (worldwide)
• Northern lights tonight in West Chicago
• Aurora forecast
• Meteor showers

Guides

• Solar Flares and Geomagnetic Storms Explained: R, S and G Scales
• What Kp Index Do You Need to See the Northern Lights?
• How to See the Northern Lights Tonight: A Practical Guide
• GPS Jamming and Spoofing Explained: How Maps Detect It