Oregon · PT
Can You See the Northern Lights in Oregon Tonight?
NO (Baker City area). Not worth a special trip tonight. Aurora activity is not expected to reach Oregon tonight.
NO
Not worth a special trip tonight.
Tonight’s hours (PT)
| Time | Reading | Sky |
|---|---|---|
| 10:45 PM–11:15 PM PT | NO | Clear |
| 11:15 PM–11:45 PM PT | NO | Clear |
| 11:45 PM–12:15 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 12:15 AM–12:45 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 12:45 AM–1:15 AM PT | NO | Clear |
Rest of the night
| 1:15 AM–1:45 AM PT | NO | Clear |
|---|---|---|
| 1:45 AM–2:15 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 2:15 AM–2:45 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 2:45 AM–3:15 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 3:15 AM–3:45 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 3:45 AM–4:15 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 4:15 AM–4:45 AM PT | NO | Clear |
| 4:45 AM–5:15 AM PT | not dark yet | — |
| 5:15 AM–5:45 AM PT | not dark yet | — |
| 5:45 AM–6:15 AM PT | not dark yet | — |
Why this verdict
- Aurora reach
- Aurora activity is not expected to reach Oregon tonight.
- Clouds
- Clear
- Darkness
- —
- Moon
- —
- City glow
- Portland is a sizable dome. The high desert (Bend, the east side) is much darker. Northeast Oregon (Baker City) is the better magnetic+darkness compromise; Bend is darker but slightly farther from the oval.
- Data live
- Live reading, not a full local guide.
What to do
- Leave Portland, and treat the Cascades as a cloud wall, not a viewing destination. If the west side is socked in, the dry east is the reason to drive.
- Face north.
- Give your eyes 30–60 minutes in the dark.
- A phone camera may pick up a faint display before your eyes do.
Other points in Oregon
- PortlandNO
- BendNO
In this state
The useful split is west (wet, cloudy, populated) vs east (dry, dark), not a large north–south oval difference. Portland is not meaningfully closer to the oval than Baker City.
Nearby
Local FAQ
Why is the headline Baker City, not Portland?
This page’s tonight card uses northeast Oregon, not downtown Portland. Portland is listed separately and is usually worse because of clouds and skyglow.
Portland or Bend tonight?
Bend wins on darkness and often on clouds. It does not win on magnetic latitude. Go east for sky, not because the oval is overhead there.
Is Oregon better than Washington?
Seattle is a bit farther north. Oregon’s advantage is the dark, dry east, not a better oval.
The coast?
No. Brighter marine layer, worse weather, no magnetic gain.