Understanding the Alerts Dashboard

The Alerts dashboard is meant to read like a headline, not a textbook. Instead of making you interpret every chart, an alert tells you what kind of event is happening, how strong it is, and what it might affect.

Start by looking at the type of alert. Common types map to NOAA scales, like G for geomagnetic storms (often tied to auroras and magnetic disturbances) and R for radio blackouts (often tied to solar flares). The level is simply the intensity: a higher number generally means broader, more noticeable effects.

Next, pay attention to whether the alert is active right now or whether it’s a watch/warning for something that could happen soon. That one word changes how you should react: “active” means conditions are already in place; a watch/warning means “be ready.”

If you’re chasing auroras, alerts are the starting point — then you typically confirm the setup by checking solar wind (especially Bz) and Kp. If you care more about radio/GPS, alerts help you quickly spot when flare‑driven conditions are likely.