Medford, OR – Southern Oregon skies may offer a rare northern lights display tonight, just before a wet and windy system moves into the region Thursday.
The US National Weather Service Medford reports that skies will remain partly clear early this evening, especially inland from Medford to Klamath Falls, allowing a window for viewing the aurora borealis as a strong G4 (Severe) geomagnetic storm continues across North America.
The best time to look north will be between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m., when geomagnetic activity peaks and before clouds increase overnight. Viewers may catch faint green, red, or purple hues glowing low along the horizon.
After midnight, conditions will turn increasingly cloudy and wet as a Pacific storm moves inland. Forecasts show 0.5–1 inch of rain in the Rogue Valley and up to 1–1.8 inches along the coast by late Friday. Gold Beach and Crescent City could see the heaviest totals, while higher terrain near Mount Shasta and Crater Lake may pick up localized heavier rainfall.
Winds could also gust to 45 mph or higher along exposed ridges and the coast Thursday morning. Travelers should expect slick roads and reduced visibility during heavier rain periods.
Those hoping to glimpse the aurora should do so early this evening, before the rain arrives.
