New Hampshire

Mass., NH may see more aurora with severe solar storm firing this week

Published

1 year ago

October 10, 2024

Mass., NH may see more aurora with severe solar storm firing this week

A severe solar storm may trigger northern lights in New England this week, and as far south in the U.S. as the lower Midwest and Northern California, according to U.S. space weather forecasters.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a severe geomagnetic storm watch on Wednesday for Thursday into Friday after an outburst from the sun was detected earlier this week. Such a storm could temporarily disrupt power and radio signals, along with producing aurora.

Exact locations and times of the northern lights are uncertain, according to NOAA. Skygazers are reminded to point their smartphones upward for photos; the devices often can capture auroras that human eyes cannot.

Forecasters do not expect the latest solar storm to surpass the one that slammed Earth in May, the strongest in more than two decades. But they won’t know for sure until it’s just 1 million miles away, where spacecraft can measure it.

May’s solar storm produced dazzling auroras across the Northern Hemisphere, and aurora have occasionally been visible in the skies over New England since.

A powerful solar storm could disrupt power and communications, but also made the aurora borealis visible much farther south than usual. Pete Bouchard explains.

The sun is near the peak of its current 11-year cycle, sparking the recent solar activity.

May’s storm resulted in no major disruptions, but the coming could stress power grids even more as the U.S. deals with major back-to-back hurricanes, the Space Weather Prediction Center warned Wednesday.

NOAA has notified operators of power plants and orbiting spacecraft to take precautions. It also alerted the Federal Emergency Management Agency about possible power disruptions, as the organization copes with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene and gears up for Hurricane Milton barreling across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida.

A fast CME erupted from the Sun the evening of 8 Oct and is likely to arrive at Earth on 10 Oct. This CME has been analyzed and there is potential to reach G4 levels upon arrival and throughout CME passage. Visit https://t.co/89xOZCTfxh for the full story. pic.twitter.com/WpjSvmOxSS
— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) October 9, 2024

S3 (Strong) solar radiation storm conditions were reached the morning of 9 October (Eastern time zone). Storm conditions of at least S1-S2 (Minor-Moderate) are likely to continue into 10-11 October. Visit https://t.co/YLUbTRMxS6 for more information. pic.twitter.com/Y6lAgfcQty
— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) October 9, 2024

Florida is far enough south to avoid any power disruptions from the solar surge unless it gets a lot bigger, said scientist Rob Steenburgh of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

“That adds a little bit more to the comfort level,” Steenburgh said. “Why we’re here is to let them know so that they can prepare.”

Experts are more concerned about potential effects to the power grids in areas slammed by Hurricane Helene two weeks ago, said NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl.

In New England, power grid operator ISO New England always monitors solar activity, and can activate procedures to protect equipments.

“These measures may involve adjusting generator outputs, coordinating with transmission operators to stop maintenance work when possible, and manage the amount of electricity that flows on transmission lines,” an ISO New England representative said.

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New Hampshire

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Published

5 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

N.H. woman accused of civil rights violation after allegedly shooting at lost man because he was Black

Local News

Diane Durgin, 67, is accused of shooting at a Black man who inadvertently drove to her property after a prearranged truck part sale, prosecutors said.

A New Hampshire woman is accused of violating the state’s Civil Rights Act four times after she allegedly shot at a man because he was Black, prosecutors said.

Diane Durgin, 67, of Weare, N.H. could face up to a $5,000 fine for each violation she is found to have committed, the office of New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a press release Tuesday.

Durgin is also charged with criminal threatening against a person with a deadly weapon and attempted first degree assault with a deadly weapon, Michael Garrity, a media representative for the New Hampshire Attorney General, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

Durgin had a final pre-trial conference last week, Garrity said.

In a civil complaint filed Tuesday, Durgin is accused of threatening physical force against the victim, the AG said. Prosecutors asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction barring Durgin from repeating her alleged behavior and from contacting the victim and his family.

During the morning hours of Oct. 20, 2024, the victim claims, he “mistakenly” drove to Durgin’s home after a prearranged purchase of a truck part with a seller online, prosecutors wrote as part of their request for an injunction.

When the man — whom prosecutors identified in court documents as X.G. — arrived, Durgin allegedly stepped out of her home and approached his car with a gun “holstered by her waist,” prosecutors wrote.

Upon noticing that X.G. was Black, Durgin allegedly “removed her gun and pointed it at X.G.,” prosecutors said in the injunction request.

While X.G. explained that he was lost, Durgin called the victim a “Black mother[expletive],” and threatened to “kill him,” prosecutors allege.

As the victim attempted to drive away, Durgin allegedly took her gun and fired two shots at the fleeing man’s car, missing both times, the AG’s office said.

While on the phone with a dispatcher, Durgin allegedly said she shot the man’s car because the victim is Black, the AG said.

“The guy is Black. And he, he…he says he’s meeting someone here and I think he’s coming here to steal,” Durgin allegedly said.

Police located X.G. and brought him to the Weare Police Department, stopping along the way at the correct seller’s home to complete the truck part purchase, prosecutors wrote in court documents.

To prove a violation of the New Hampshire Civil Rights Act, the AG must show that Durgin “interfered or attempted to interfere with the rights of the victim to engage in lawful activities by threatening to engage in or actually engage in physical force or violence, when such actual or threatening conduct was motivated by race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, or disability,” prosecutors said.

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New Hampshire

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

Published

17 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Up to 4 inches of snow expected in NH tonight. See latest forecast

It may be March, but winter in New Hampshire is far from over. Just one week after a blizzard tore through the state with heavy snow and high winds, the state is getting another round of snowfall.

The state will get three to five inches during the evening and night of Tuesday, March 3, says the National Weather Service (NWS) of Gray, Maine. While the accumulation will not be significant, the snowfall may cause dangerous road conditions and a layer of ice on the ground in certain parts of the state.

Here’s what to know before tonight’s snow in New Hampshire, including snow totals and timing.

When will it snow in NH tonight?

According to the NWS, it will start snowing in New Hampshire during mid-afternoon or early evening and continue through the night. Specifically, snow will arrive to the southern part of the state around 2-3 p.m., spreading northwards through the rest of New Hampshire by 5 p.m.

Rain or freezing rain will mix in later this evening across southern New Hampshire, creating a wintry mix. All precipitation should move out of the state by midnight.

Due to the timing of today’s snowfall, the Tuesday evening commute will be affected, with the NWS warning to slow down and exercise caution while driving.

How much snow will NH get tonight?

New Hampshire will get one to four inches of snow tonight, with one to two inches in northern New Hampshire, two to three inches in southern New Hampshire and three to four inches in the center of the state, with the possibility for five inches in localized areas.

In the Seacoast specifically, Portsmouth, Rye, Hampton and York are expected to get between two to three inches of snow, while Dover, Exeter and Rochester may get up to four.

The wintry mix may also cause a light glaze of ice across southern New Hampshire.

NH weather watches and warnings

The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for the state of New Hampshire, in effect from 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3 through 4 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4.