☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️

Space Weather Scientist at @lynkerspace ☀️🛰
Experienced Space Wx Forecaster, Meteorologist (@millersvilleu), & @johnshopkins Physics Grad Student

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

A lot of changes have taken place at SWPC within the past month! What's the latest?

After a successful introduction of both SOLAR-1 (CCOR-2 is still pending release) and the new solar wind display, we ended an era yesterday by shutting off the ingest and processing of DSCOVR data and removing the legacy RTSW plot.

DSCOVR End of Life:
-SOLAR-1 is now our primary L1 in situ data source, with ACE as our backup until IMAP I-ALiRT has 24/7 coverage, expected in January 2027
-DSCOVR is still operating but set to be decommissioned later this year
-DSCOVR specific JSON files at https://t.co/Wjrk8gR5du are no longer being updated and will eventually be removed
-DSCOVR tracking plot has been removed, so if anyone needs ACE specific tracking, they will have to use https://t.co/DZMb4HvVzw...
-There will be no tracking plot created for SOLAR-1 or IMAP

RTSW Plot End of Life:
-The link for the legacy RTSW plot now redirects to the new display at https://t.co/AcaOIYOVMG
-Solar wind data is now accessible strictly from https://t.co/TU5FqjjLzN with those at https://t.co/Vna0L1W2BE no longer being updated

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

There’s a free webinar happening on the 15th that will talk about the role weather played in the Artemis ll launch from the perspective of a launch weather officer at Cape Canaveral 🚀

Being that I used to coordinate with their launch weather officers on any potential space weather impacts in my previous role, I’m looking forward to seeing if any mention of space weather makes it in! And since this was the first crewed mission to the Moon in over 50 years, SWPC played a huge part in that coordination as well!

[American Meteorological Society @ametsoc]

Join us to explore the weather challenges faced throughout NASA's Artemis II launch campaign—from rollout to the successful April 1, 2026 liftoff—through the perspective of the Launch Weather Officer responsible for GO/NO-GO decisions 🚀🌔

Register here: https://t.co/d3holhA8cN

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

New hobbies since moving to Colorado:
-Paddle boarding
-Anxiously tracking wildfires
-Humbling myself by looking up houses that I see for sale

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

With Solar Orbiter continuing to maintain a farside view of the Sun, I love comparing what it sees to what has been measured by SDO HMI using heliseismology.

SDO's helioseismology compilation is agreeing quite well with Solar Orbiter's observation of there being multiple active regions traversing the farside of the Sun. They are a mix of returning and new regions. Whether they will bring heightened activity with them is a different story that is to be determined, but they will take over as the latest bunch of regions on the Earth-facing disk prepare to rotate off the disk in the coming days.

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

I’ve realized that the sun on my arm is forever in peak solar maximum with sunspots thanks to my freckles 💥 ☀️

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

I think this is the best mammatus I have ever personally seen with my own eyes 😍 #cowx

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

@tknep3 The gas station closest to me has been all over the dang place. Went 3.23 to 3.59 to 3.35 like what?

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

@smAshomAsh @grok I figured that would trick it. Was curious how bad the response would be. 😂

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

Grok says it’s a tornado, so I just saw my first tornado! 😱

No, it’s not, I know, but it definitely threw me off for a second when I noticed it!

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

.@grok Is this a tornado?

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

.@grok Is this a tornado?

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

@WickyDubs2 Me, except I usually don't answer my texts either 😂

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

We had a visitor at work today 🐻

[NWS Boulder @NWSBoulder]

You know it's hot when a bear needs a bath! This video was captured this morning at our office in Boulder. #COwx

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

Perfect example from earlier today of how the Sun doesn't always follow the rules (of thumb).

What started as an impulsive M4 flare, so was assumed to have no associated CME, did in fact have some plasma movement resembling a CME. It then turned out to be a failed eruption without the adequate power to escape, leaving the plasma falling back into the Sun. Very cool to watch the cycle play out in entirety! 💥

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

4th of July Space Weather Forecast:

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

The Sun has been getting in the holiday spirit with its own form of fireworks! 💥

Over the past 3 days, there has been 1 X-class flare and over 15 M-class flares produced by 4 different active regions. A few associated CMEs could result in minor (Kp5) to moderate (Kp6) geomagnetic activity going into the holiday weekend.

[NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center @NWSSWPC]

30 Jun 2026- Space Weather Update! What happened today and what might that mean as we approach July 4th weekend? Check out this SWPC video to learn about the recent solar flare, CME, and what our forecasters will analyze through the overnight and adjust the forecast as needed.

[Dr. Tamitha Skov @TamithaSkov]

Our Sun does more than sizzle: Region 4479 just fired an X1.1-flare and big solar storm while in the Earth-Strike Zone! Fast wind from a coronal hole south of the source region could deflect the structure northward, but we could catch some of it. Waiting for coronagraphs to inform model runs now.

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

@SeshSad @NWSSWPC SOLAR-1 is the primary source now with ACE as backup until IMAP has 24/7 coverage.

[☀️ Sara Housseal ☀️ @SNHWx]

Today @NWSSWPC has officially stopped the ingest and processing of DSCOVR data with plans to decommission the satellite later this year.

It's crazy to see it be outlived by ACE, but despite its quirks and troubles, it lived a good life for us out there at L1. 💜