Northern light chances return this weekend in the Pacific Northwest

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The chance to see the northern lights remains across the Pacific Northwest this weekend.

Mostly cloudy skies will likely make it tricky to see the auroras around Portland Friday night. A stronger amount of plasma and magnetic energy along with clearer conditions will make viewing opportunities greater Saturday night into Sunday morning.

This weekend's northern lights will best be viewed along the northern horizon. Getting away from city lights will give the optimal chance of seeing this astronomical event. If the lights aren't visible with the naked eye, observing them through a smart phone with a long exposure will give you a better chance of seeing the event. The best time of night is right around midnight both Friday and Saturday.

Northern lights Friday night

Clouds will likely make it difficult to see any of the auroras Friday night into Saturday morning due to clouds and fog development. Fog visibility could fall as low as a quarter to half mile by Saturday morning.

Northern lights Saturday night

A few lingering clouds are possible Saturday evening, but mostly clear conditions will give the best opportunity for night sky views. Patchy fog could develop again, after midnight along the Willamette Valley.

Saturday's horizon viewing line is expected to dip slightly farther south. This puts much of the Portland, Vancouver metro area in the potential zone to see the auroras Saturday night.

Timing of the aurora event Saturday remains from sunset to about midnight Sunday morning. The northern horizon still remains the best direction to look as slightly stronger magnetic energy is expected.

This latest chance of northern lights comes from a strong solar flare sent to earth from the sun. The strongest solar flare of the sun's latest active cycle occurred on Thursday, October 3, 2024. This was also the strongest solar flare seen since 2017, according to NASA and NOAA scientists.

Remember, space weather is extremely unpredictable. So, keep an eye to the sky and hope for the best this weekend.