MORNING AT 656. TIME FOR WGAL NEWS EIGHT TO GO. IT IS AN IMPACT. MORNING. SO LET’S START WITH CHRISTINE. GOOD MORNING. I WANT YOU TO WATCH OUT, ESPECIALLY IN SPOTS THAT LAKE SNOW YESTERDAY EVENING IN LANCASTER, LEBANON, YORK, PARTS OF DAUPHIN COUNTIES. THERE WILL BE SOME SNOW COVERED ICY SLICK ROADS. AND IN OTHER SPOTS YOU COULD HAVE SOME BLACK ICE LEFT OVER FROM YESTERDAY MORNING. RIGHT NOW CLOUDS ARE INCREASING AND WE’LL SEE MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES LATER TODAY. THE MORNING TEMPERATURE IS 13 IN SELINSGROVE, 12 IN LANCASTER. GOOD MORNING. IN YORK YOU’RE DOWN TO 18 DEGREES, ALMOST 25 WITH A BREEZE. BUILDING IN CHAMBERSBURG. SO FOR TODAY WE’RE LOOKING FOR A HIGH OF 32. WIND CHILLS WILL BE IN THE 20S THIS AFTERNOON. COMPARE THAT TO TOMORROW, WHERE OUR HIGH BARELY GETS TO 20 DEGREES AND WIND CHILLS START BELOW ZERO IN THE MORNING AND STAY IN THE SINGLE DIGITS DURING THE DAY. SO TOMORROW IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE IMPACTFUL BECAUSE OF THESE COLD WIND CHILLS. I’LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE COLD LIFTS OUT. COMING UP, BECAUSE OF THESE TEMPERATURES, SOME SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ISSUED CODE BLUE ALERTS. THESE ALERTS ALLOW MORE PEOPLE TO FIND SHELTER IF THEY DON’T HAVE IT DURING THE BITTER COLD. LEBANON COUNTY’S COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS. CODE BLUE STARTS AT 4:00 THIS AFTERNOON. GOES UNTIL THURSDAY MORNING AT TEN. AND IN YORK COUNTY, LIFEPATH CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES SET UP ADDITIONAL BEDS AT ITS OVERNIGHT SHELTER IN ON WEST MARKET STREET. IT SAYS IF CAPACITY IS REACHED WITH THOSE BEDS, AN OVERFLOW SHELTER WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON CLARK STREET. RIGHT NOW IN TRAFFIC, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL CRASHES AND ALSO SOME CLOSED ROADS. WEST HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP LANCASTER COUNTY ROUTE 30 EASTBOUND. THE ON RAMP FROM CENTERVILLE ROAD. THERE’S A CRASH SLOWING DOWN THERE’S ALSO TRAFFIC BEING DIVERTED AND AN INCIDENT IN EPHRATA. LANCASTER COUNTY ROUTE 322 DIVISION HIGHWAY THERE. ALSO IN EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP, THERE IS A CRASH ON LINCOLN HIGHWAY EAST BETWEEN WITMER AND ROUTE 896 AND ALSO ON HIGHWAY 340 AT MOUNT SIDNEY ROAD IN EAST LAMPETER TOWNSHIP. BREAKING NEWS THIS MORNING IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY, WHERE A BARN IS ON FIRE IN MIDDLESEX TOWNSHIP. WE CAN TAKE YOU LIVE TO THAT SCENE TO SEE A LOT OF SMOKE RISING FROM WHERE THAT BARN ONCE STOOD. DISPATCHERS SAY THIS STARTED JUST BEFORE 430 THIS MORNING. THAT BARN IS ON SOUTH MIDDLESEX ROAD NEAR RIDGE DRIVE. DISPATCHERS SAID THEY’RE NOT AWARE OF ANY ANIMALS BEING IN THAT BARN, BUT WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE FIGHT. THERE. BREAKING OVERNIGHT IN LANCASTER COUNTY, 911 DISPATCHERS SAY FIREFIGHTERS PUT OUT A HOUSE FIRE IN MANHEIM BOROUGH. DISPATCHERS SAY THAT FIRE STARTED JUST AFTER 1130 LAST NIGHT ON WEST HIGH STREET, NEAR SOUTH KAUFMAN ALLEY. DISPATCHERS SAY THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL IN ABOUT AN HOUR, AND THEY SAY THE RED CROSS WAS NOT CALLED, AND IT’S UNCLEAR IF ANYONE WAS INSIDE THE HOME AT THE TIME OF THE FIRE. MLK 365 HOSTING A DAY OF SERVICE IN HARRISBURG WITH DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES FOR PEOPLE TO DO IF THEY SHOW UP. THE THEME IS ILLUMINATING VOICES OF COURAGE AND HOPE TO HONOR DOCTOR KING’S SERVICE NOT ONLY TODAY, BUT EVERY DAY, AND ALSO TODAY IN YOUR. CRISPUS ATTUCKS IS HOSTING ITS MLK DAY OF SERVICE. THERE WILL BE A BREAKFAST AWARD CEREMONY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES. THOSE DOORS OPEN AT 730 THIS MORNING. CRISPUS ATTUCKS LANCASTER IS ALSO HOSTING ITS MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BREAKFAST TODAY, AND NEWS EIGHT’S MICHAEL FULLER IS THE EVENT’S EMCEE. THAT EVENT BEGINS AT 8:00 THIS MORNING, AND IT’S A SLIPPERY MORNING OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY IN SPOTS THAT GOT THAT LIGHT SNOW YESTERDAY EVENING. THE ROADS WERE WET AND THEY ALL FROZE BECAUSE TEMPERATURES DROPPED TO THE TEENS OVERNIGHT IN MANY SPOTS. SO USE CAUTION THIS MORNING, ESPECIALLY EAST OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. LATER TODAY WE’RE AT 32, BUT TONIGHT WE DROP RIGHT DOWN TO TEN DEGREES WITH SUBZERO WIND CHILLS TO START THE DAY TUESDAY. SO WIND CHILLS, THEY REALLY DON’T IMPROVE TOO MUCH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. IT’S GOING TO FEEL LIKE THE SINGLE DIGITS. FINALLY, AS WE GET INTO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY A LITTLE THAW BUT THE COLD COMES BACK. I WILL SAY MY KIDS LOVE THE SNOW. THIS WEEKEND I POSTED A PICTURE OF O
Severe geomagnetic storm could make Northern Lights visible in the Susquehanna Valley
Updated: 12:23 PM EST Jan 19, 2026
There is a G4 geomagnetic storm watch in effect from the Space Weather Prediction Center, which means the aurora borealis, or northern lights, may be visible in Pennsylvania.”A G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for the 20 January UTC-day due to Earth-arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME blasted from the Sun on 18 Jan, in association with an energetic R3 (Strong) solar flare from a sunspot region near center-disk, and is anticipated to arrive at Earth as early as late 19 Jan EST to early 20 Jan.,” a post on the center’s website says. Geomagnetic storm “G levels” range from G1 to G5, with G5 being the most extreme.G1 | MINORG2 | MODERATEG3 | STRONGG4 | SEVEREG5 | EXTREMETips for capturing photos of the aurora borealisMake sure you use the long-exposure setting (night-mode) on your camera to get the best color! Go outside and look to the north. You may have to look around a little bit to capture the color. Depending on the storm’s exact strength, you may only see color through the camera.Share Your Photos!Share your photos with us and the rest of the Susquehanna Valley!DIRECT UPLOAD: There is a form here to let you upload photos or video.EMAIL: Just send to news8@wgal.com.Below: Montage of viewer photos from 2025What are the northern lights?The northern lights, or aurora borealis, is a captivating phenomenon characterized by colorful dancing waves of light in the sky. When there is a strong enough geomagnetic storm, the aurora can be seen in Pennsylvania.During these storms, charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, producing the spectacle.The stronger the geomagnetic storm or the larger the amount of material ejected by the sun, the farther south the northern lights can be seen during a storm.How you can see the northern lightsCheck NOAA’s aurora forecast website. It’s a great resource for potential viewing times.If a northern lights viewing is in the forecast, check the WGAL News 8 Storm Team forecast to see if local conditions are favorable. Just because the Aurora is active, that doesn’t necessarily mean cloud cover and other local conditions won’t interfere with its visibility.If everything lines up for a viewing, you’ll want to maximize the darkness to really enjoy the show. Your best bet is to head to rural areas with very little light pollution. Find a spot, such as a hill or mountaintop, with a clear view of the northern sky and soak it all in.Northern lights forecastThe Space Weather Prediction Center’s website says the Planetary K-index is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms. The Kp index goes between 0 and 9.To see the northern lights in parts of Pennsylvania, a Kp index of at least a seven is needed. At a 7, a faint colored glow low on the horizon, usually in the northern sky, is what we see. The farther north you go, the better your chances of seeing the aurora are.Read more about the Space Weather Prediction Center here: www.spaceweather.gov.
There is a G4 geomagnetic storm watch in effect from the Space Weather Prediction Center, which means the aurora borealis, or northern lights, may be visible in Pennsylvania.
“A G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm watch is in effect for the 20 January UTC-day due to Earth-arrival of a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME blasted from the Sun on 18 Jan, in association with an energetic R3 (Strong) solar flare from a sunspot region near center-disk, and is anticipated to arrive at Earth as early as late 19 Jan EST to early 20 Jan.,” a post on the center’s website says.
Geomagnetic storm “G levels” range from G1 to G5, with G5 being the most extreme.
G1 | MINORG2 | MODERATEG3 | STRONGG4 | SEVEREG5 | EXTREMETips for capturing photos of the aurora borealis
Make sure you use the long-exposure setting (night-mode) on your camera to get the best color! Go outside and look to the north. You may have to look around a little bit to capture the color. Depending on the storm’s exact strength, you may only see color through the camera.
Share Your Photos!
Share your photos with us and the rest of the Susquehanna Valley!
Below: Montage of viewer photos from 2025
What are the northern lights?
The northern lights, or aurora borealis, is a captivating phenomenon characterized by colorful dancing waves of light in the sky. When there is a strong enough geomagnetic storm, the aurora can be seen in Pennsylvania.
During these storms, charged particles collide with gases in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, producing the spectacle.
The stronger the geomagnetic storm or the larger the amount of material ejected by the sun, the farther south the northern lights can be seen during a storm.
How you can see the northern lightsCheck NOAA’s aurora forecast website. It’s a great resource for potential viewing times.If a northern lights viewing is in the forecast, check the WGAL News 8 Storm Team forecast to see if local conditions are favorable. Just because the Aurora is active, that doesn’t necessarily mean cloud cover and other local conditions won’t interfere with its visibility.If everything lines up for a viewing, you’ll want to maximize the darkness to really enjoy the show. Your best bet is to head to rural areas with very little light pollution. Find a spot, such as a hill or mountaintop, with a clear view of the northern sky and soak it all in.Northern lights forecast
The Space Weather Prediction Center’s website says the Planetary K-index is used to characterize the magnitude of geomagnetic storms. The Kp index goes between 0 and 9.
To see the northern lights in parts of Pennsylvania, a Kp index of at least a seven is needed. At a 7, a faint colored glow low on the horizon, usually in the northern sky, is what we see. The farther north you go, the better your chances of seeing the aurora are.
Read more about the Space Weather Prediction Center here: www.spaceweather.gov.