It’s rare for the northern lights to show up in Portland’s night sky, but geomagnetic storm watches have stargazers excited for chances of seeing the light show south of its usual viewing points.
The storm watches are in effect Friday, Aug. 19. The Space Weather Prediction Center at NOAA recently upgraded its geomagnetic storm forecast peak from G2 (moderate) to G3 (strong), meaning stronger auroras are possible and may be visible farther south than under normal conditions, according to EarthSky.org, a website dedicated to providing night sky information and science news.
Could Portland see some of the northern lights in the night sky?
NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center points out that being able to see the aurora depends mainly on two factors: geomagnetic activity (the degree of disturbance of the earth’s magnetic field at the time) and your geographic location. Other factors include the weather during the event and the amount of light pollution from city lights, full moon and other sources that dilute the aurora’s potency.
One factor in particular will likely diminish Portland’s chances at seeing any of the northern lights during this event: cloud cover. Friday night is forecast to be partly cloudy.
David Bishop, National Weather Service meteorologist in the Portland office, says G3 level storms don’t normally reach far enough south to actually allow people to see the aurora in the Portland area.
For a detailed aurora forecast, the curious can visit swpc.noaa.gov and check the graphic labeled “Aurora Forecast” for updated information.
Aurora viewing chances continue Friday, but the peak hours will have passed. Those who want a better shot at seeing the aurora may want to travel north into Washington, (the closer to the Canadian border, the better) and stay away from city light pollution.
— Rosemarie Stein
503-221-4376, events@oregonian.com; @trafficportland
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