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- Currently in Portland — September 20, 2023: Final countdown to fall
Currently in Portland — September 20, 2023: Final countdown to fall
Plus, a spectacular northern lights display this week.
Eric Holthaus
September 19, 2023
The weather, currently.
Another partly sunny day, this time with a chance of showers.
It really feels like the final countdown to fall, with mornings cold enough to bundle up. If you’ve got a morning commute or dog walk, I hope you’re busting out the fleece vests, sweaters, and scarves. Wednesday is going to feel a lot like Tuesday, but maybe even a little cooler, and also with a decent chance of some sprinkles. And that chance of rain is going to increase later this week and next week, as fall officially begins. So if you haven’t busted the raincoats and boots out of storage yet, now’s the time. Especially if there’s a chance they’re waiting on repairs, or a fresh waterproof coating.
— Stella Harris
What you need to know, currently.
There was a spectacular display of northern lights — aurora borealis — on Tuesday, caused by a direct hit from particles sent Earthward from a solar explosion.
We’re in the middle of a multi-year peak of activity on the sun, so northern lights should be more common than in previous years. And the best time to see them is during the fall and winter, when the temperatures aren’t yet too cold, and the nights are getting nice and long.
One of my favorite websites, spaceweather.com, will keep you up-to-date on upcoming chances to see the aurora.
Last night’s aurora in Duluth, Minnesota
— George Ilstrup (@georgeilstrup)
9:06 PM • Sep 19, 2023
Wide frame of the northern lights over the Shenandoah Valley late last night.
📍Luray, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountains
📸 Canon R5, RF 16mm f/2.8 10"— Peter Forister ⚡️🌪️⚡️ (@forecaster25)
5:27 PM • Sep 19, 2023
What you can do, currently.
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