It may have been mostly cloudy in Portland, but on Tuesday night, people here, nearby and all across the United States got a chance to see the northern lights due to a strong geomagnetic storm.
Did you miss the show?
There’s good news and bad news. The good news? The auroras will likely be visible over parts of Oregon and 17 other states on Wednesday night.
The bad news? It will likely be too cloudy to see them in Portland.
The Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025 aurora forecast.Courtesy of NOAA
People in 18 states – Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine – could have a chance to see the auroras.
The increased chance to see the auroras is directly related to weather on the sun, which has been particularly active the last couple of days.
Earth is currently in the middle of the “solar maximum” of solar cycle 25, which is an approximately 11-year cycle of magnetic activity coming from the sun. Solar maximum will last into 2026.
According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, a major solar flare detected Tuesday was “one of the strongest flares of the cycle.”
On Wednesday, geomagnetic storm levels reached “strong” and “severe,” which meant charged particles and magnetic fields continued to buffet the planet.
Geomagnetic storm infographic.Courtesy of NOAA
To view the lights, stay away from light pollution and look toward the northern horizon.
Follow the Space Weather Prediction Center’s 30-minute aurora forecast to see the latest predictions of where the lights will be visible.
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