The northern lights could be visible in more than a dozen states \u2014 including Oregon \u2014 Friday night as minor to moderate geomagnetic storm conditions<\/a> persist, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center. <\/p>\n The aurora viewline<\/a> just skims the top of Oregon, offering a chance to see the lights along the Oregon-Washington border and, more optimistically, within the northeast corner of the state. <\/p>\n Portlanders, though, probably shouldn\u2019t hold their breath. Forecasts<\/a> across the area are expectedly rainy and cloudy<\/a> \u2014 not prime aurora-spotting conditions. <\/p>\n People across 18 states could have a shot at catching the lights beginning Friday night, including those in Alaska, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Idaho, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, Iowa, Oregon, New York, Wyoming, Nebraska and Illinois. <\/p>\n Our solar system is currently in the middle of solar cycle 25<\/a>, an approximately 11-year cycle of magnetic activity<\/a> coming from the sun. <\/p>\n![\"Aurora](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/C2B5LRYU6ZBQ3JYJ2B2WPB572Y.png\")
The Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, aurora forecast.Courtesy of NOAA<\/p>\n