AM skywave reception almost non-existent tonight

[bmw]

I was driving home, about an hour after dark, and I was flipping through the AM dial and the stations that I can normally get after dark were non-existent. In fact, the whole dial was pretty dead.

So then I went to a local station (1480 WIOS) which is normally OBLITERATED more than a few miles from Tawas starting about a half hour before dark, and it was coming in loud and clear from 20 miles away with daytime-like reception. In fact, most groundwave reception was very similar to daytime.

This is the first time I've ever experienced this. What kind of atmospheric conditions kill skywave reception after dark allowing groundwave to come through?

[SolarMax]

There has been an ongoing Geomagnetic storm all day, from G3 to G5 levels, due to solar wind from a coronal hole. That usually will suck the life out of any expected propagation.
spaceweather.com and NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center have info on such events, among dozens of other sites with similar info.

[WOHO]

SolarMax- appropriate name of the responder- yes, might even be some Northern Light activity with the geomagnetic storm.

[Turkeytop]

Here, in the Tampa Bay area, MW reception was pretty decent last night. I heard WCBS, WBM, and WSM.

[rst599]

As you get farther from the auroral oval, you'll notice less of an impact on ionospheric propagation, so the southern states most likely won't notice as much disturbance.

Indeed, with an A index of 40 and K index of 5 as this is written, HF is going to be dodgy. Last night 40 and 80 meters were far deader than normal. That impacts MF (AM broadcasting) as well, but to a lesser extent. If the sky were to be clear, you might see aurora down to about 42 degrees latitude.

[k8jd]

Here, in the Tampa Bay area, MW reception was pretty decent last night. I heard WCBS, WBM, and WSM.

Yep, those solar disturbances can mess up MW and SW signals.
WBM ? Not a known callsign... is that the station they listen to in the rest room ? Maybe it was WBBM on 780 from Chicago or WBZ from Boston on 1030? Those cover most of the eastern US and Canada.
The few times I have visited FL, it was hard to hear some of the regular night time sky wave stations that I hear in Detroit !

[Turkeytop]

Here, in the Tampa Bay area, MW reception was pretty decent last night. I heard WCBS, WBM, and WSM.

Yep, those solar disturbances can mess up MW and SW signals.
WBM ? Not a known callsign... is that the station they listen to in the rest room ? Maybe it was WBBM on 780 from Chicago or WBZ from Boston on 1030? Those cover most of the eastern US and Canada.
The few times I have visited FL, it was hard to hear some of the regular night time sky wave stations that I hear in Detroit !

Oops. Typo. I meant WBBM.

[Radio Chili]

I live in central FL most of the year now and the only I-A & I-B's that I'd say you can actually 'read' at night down here anymore reliably would be WLW, WKYC and KMOX.

Second stringers would be, say WPTF, WSCR, WGN, 740-Toronto, WJR, WABC WBBM, WBAP, WHAS, 860-Toronto, WWL, WCBS WLS, KDKA, WBT, WOAI, WLAC and WCKY but ONLY when their massive Spanish speaking co-channel competition from the islands are not propagating well. Otherwise these 'seconds' get hammered into submission, which is MOST nights! They might get a chance to be heard here roughly one out of every ten nights on average.

[k8jd]

Just curious, a few days late, after the solar flare or whatever disturbed the AM skywaves, Took a spin across the dial. Listening here near Detroit.
1210, Phila, S9+20 dB
1140, Richmond +20
1120 St Louis S9
1040 Des Moines +10
1030 Boston +10
1000 Chi +10
880 NYC +10
870 New Orleans S9 with Interfering signals
840 Louisville + 10
830 MInneapolis S9

Things seem normal here tonight.

[jm]

A little off topic, but so dared what time WTCM AM goes to daytime power. Tuesday is was almost not receivable at 8:30 just about 70 miles away. Also, Monday (actually just after midnight Tuesday) there seemed to be another station on 106.9 with a music format. I know I was getting WOOD just before midnight. This was about 20 miles north of GR.

[Ben Zonia]

http://licensing.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/puba ... 298826.pdf

I am surprised that it would be 8:45 AM this week in November due to still being on EDT.

[jm]

A good reason why Michigan should Stay on eastern standard time year 'round. I've read that a bill was introduced in the legislature, but apparently is going nowhere.

[jm]

I believe the signal I heard on 106.9 early Tuesday (11/1) was Spring Arbor. WOOD must have gone off.

[ftballfan]

I believe the signal I heard on 106.9 early Tuesday (11/1) was Spring Arbor. WOOD must have gone off.

It may have been either the 106.9 from Milwaukee or the 106.9 on the Door Peninsula (which does a number to WOOD-FM's signal on its northern fringe) if not Spring Arbor


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[jm]

This morning (Tuesday, Nov. around 7:30 am, before WTCM went on daytime power, I heard WCHS in Charleston, WVa.