An alert when the aurora can reach your own sky, the hours it is dark enough, and a camera that stacks a sharp shot.
AuroraCue: Aurora ForecastAn alert when the aurora can reach your own sky, the hours it is dark enough, and a camera that stacks a sharp shot.
Northern lights tonight in Oregon
Tonight the forecast peak is Kp 3.7. From northern Oregon: not expected. From Portland: not expected.
The next three nights
| Night (9 pm to 3 am) | Peak Kp | Northern Oregon | Portland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed, Nov 4 | 3.7 | Not expected | Not expected |
| Thu, Nov 5 | 2.3 | Not expected | Not expected |
| Fri, Nov 6 | n/a | No forecast yet | No forecast yet |
What Oregon needs
The aurora reaches the northern edge of Oregon at about Kp 7.1, and Portland at about Kp 7.7. Kp is NOAA's 0-9 index of geomagnetic activity; the higher it goes, the farther south the aurora can be seen.
How to see it
- Get away from city lights and face north, with a clear view of the horizon.
- The best hours are usually 10 pm to 2 am, and clouds hide everything, so check the sky too.
- A phone camera on a long exposure often shows color the eye misses.
Northern lights tonight by city in Oregon
From the cities that need the least Kp to the most:
- Gresham: about Kp 7.7
- Portland: about Kp 7.7
- Hillsboro: about Kp 7.7
- Beaverton: about Kp 7.7
- Tigard: about Kp 7.7
- Salem: about Kp 8.0
- Albany: about Kp 8.1
- Corvallis: about Kp 8.2
- Bend: about Kp 8.2
- Springfield: about Kp 8.4
- Eugene: about Kp 8.4
Forecast: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center 3-day Kp forecast, refreshed every few hours. The visibility rule is approximate.