Solar storm causes few disruptions

A solar storm hit in the wee hours Thursday as predicted, but it did not disrupt satellites and power grids, scientists said.

Still, the solar storm could affect Earth until Saturday, according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Airlines have been routing planes away from the poles to avoid disruptions to their onboard systems, resulting in longer flights. This action is expected to continue until Saturday.

The storm's ferocity was less than expected largely because its magnetic field orientation was north -- the same as Earth's.

Orientation is hard to predict because it changes, scientists said, but a southern one would have "jiggled" the Earth's magnetic field, leading to irregular voltages and possibly burnout in power lines and to inaccurate readings in high-precision GPS devices, said physicist Terry Onsager at NOAA's space weather prediction center in Colorado.

Thursday's high temperature at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma was 61, forecasters said. Islip's record high was 69 degrees in 1987.

A cold system moving in overnight from the west will end the Island's balmy temperatures. It will be in the mid- to upper 40s Friday and Saturday, according to the national weather service.