Tuesday opens with a geomagnetic storm watch in effect. NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center expects mostly active conditions on October 13 and 14, with isolated G1 minor storming likely today as a coronal hole high-speed stream moves into a geoeffective position. A separate SWPC watch lists G1 as the highest level predicted for October 13, with no storm watch in effect for October 14, so HF operators should expect changeable high-latitude propagation and a chance of aurora at northern latitudes tonight.
Solar activity itself was low in the latest SWPC discussion issued early October 13 UTC. The center reported small C-class flares from Region 4549, which is decaying as it nears the west limb, and noted filament eruptions on October 11 and 12 that produced coronal mass ejections. Most of that material is expected to pass behind Earth's orbit, although SWPC sees a slight chance of a minor glancing blow early to midday on October 14. Solar activity is expected to stay low through October 15, with diminishing chances for M-class flares as Region 4549 exits the disk, and quiet to unsettled geomagnetic levels should return by October 15.
The coming weekend is built around young operators and in-person gatherings. Jamboree-on-the-Air and Jamboree-on-the-Internet run October 16 to 18, connecting Scouts in more than 160 countries by amateur radio and online, with licensed operators supervising youth at JOTA stations. Hamfest Chattanooga runs October 15 to 17, and the Zero Retries Digital Conference takes place Friday, October 16, in San Ramon, California, on the eve of Pacificon. If you are hosting a JOTA station, this week is the time to confirm antennas, control operators, and a simple plan for logging contacts.
Contesters and DXers have plenty to chase on October 17 and 18. The WA7BNM calendar lists the New York QSO Party from 1400 UTC on October 17 to 0200 UTC on October 18, along with the 902 MHz and Up Fall Sprint on October 17. On the DX side, S9R begins its run from Sao Tome and Principe on October 17 and continues through October 31 from Tamarindos, with planned operation on the HF bands plus 6 meters in CW, SSB, RTTY, and FT8. JD1BQP is also scheduled from Ogasawara starting October 17, giving Pacific paths a second target the same weekend.
Two regulatory dates deserve a spot on the calendar as well. Comments are due October 21 on the Department of Health and Human Services RF exposure inquiry and October 22 on the related FCC issues, proceedings the ARRL is tracking and that do not change current amateur RF exposure rules today. Looking a little further ahead, ARRL's On the Air Live session on contesting for beginning operators is set for Tuesday, October 27, at 8 PM Eastern, a useful on-ramp for anyone whose first contest turns out to be this busy weekend.