Unlikely
Best chance in Oregon: Portland
Free push alerts built on NOAA space weather data, plus the 72-hour forecast, cloud cover and darkness window for Portland.
Northern lights in Oregon are rare: they need a geomagnetic storm of Kp 7 or more to reach this far south. AuroraMe tracks 4 locations across Oregon; the lowest threshold, Kp 7, is at Portland.
Cities Covered
4
Monitoring locations across Oregon
Magnetic Latitude Range
47.8°–51.0° MLAT
Prime aurora viewing latitudes
Required Kp Index
Kp 7.0–9.0
Minimum activity for visibility
Kp Requirements by Location
Portland
51.0° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 7.0+ Horizon
Kp 8.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Bend
49.8° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 8.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Eugene
49.5° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 8.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Medford
47.8° MLAT
Required Kp Levels
Kp 9.0+ Horizon
Kp 9.0+ Optimal
Kp 9.0+ Bright
Kp0Kp1Kp2Kp3Kp4Kp5Kp6Kp7Kp8Kp9
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Visible on horizon
Clearly visible
Bright overhead
Aurora Status by City
Portland
Located at 51.0° MLAT with decent aurora opportunities. Geomagnetic storms with KP 6+ can produce visible displays. Monitor forecasts for storm alerts.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Bend
Located at 49.8° MLAT, aurora requires significant storm activity. KP 7+ events several times per year bring northern lights within view.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Eugene
Occasional aurora viewing at 49.5° magnetic latitude. Strong geomagnetic storms (KP 7+) can push northern lights south to this location.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Medford
Aurora reaches Medford during strong storms at 47.8° magnetic latitude. Monitor for KP 7+ events that push the auroral oval southward.
CURRENT STATUS
Unlikely
View
Best Viewing Season in Oregon
In a typical year no location we track in Oregon records a single clear night with Kp at its threshold. Only an extreme geomagnetic storm brings aurora this far south. Kp last reached the local threshold on 2026-01-21. Figures below are for Portland, the best-placed of the 4 locations we track in Oregon. They describe a typical year built from the 1996-2026 planetary Kp record and the 2001-2020 cloud normal — not a forecast. Each city page shows tonight's live cloud, moon and darkness instead.
Geographic Advantages
Magnetic Latitude 47.8°–51.0° MLAT
Cities Covered 4 locations
Winter Darkness 11.7 h in December
Dark Sky Sites 0 Bortle 1-3
What It Would Take
Clear Nights a Year Under 1 a year
Kp Needed Kp 7-9
Last Kp Threshold 2026-01-21
Oval Position (model) 25.1° above the northern horizon
Track with AuroraMe
Coverage All 4 cities
Advance Notice 30 minutes
Weather Integration Cloud cover
Predictions Best viewing times
That oval line is a model estimate of where the aurora sits at extreme Kp, not a measurement — the threshold date above comes from the Kp record itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the northern lights in Oregon?
No — not in a typical year. Oregon averages under one clear night with the aurora in reach, and the planetary index has to reach Kp 7+ for it to be visible at all, which last happened on 2026-01-21. Only an extreme geomagnetic storm brings the aurora this far south, so this is a watch-the-alerts situation rather than a month to plan around.
Where are the darkest skies in Oregon?
Check our city pages for specific dark sky recommendations near each location.
