Map shows 18 states where northern lights may be visible Friday night.

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center says a minor to moderate geomagnetic storm could make the northern lights visible across 18 states Friday night, with the aurora viewline reported to skim northern Oregon.

The northern lights could appear across parts of the United States Friday night as minor to moderate geomagnetic storm conditions persist, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center reported. The forecasted aurora viewline is reported to cross the northern U.S., skimming the top of Oregon and offering possible visibility along the Oregon-Washington border and in the state's northeast corner. Local forecasts for Portland are expectedly rainy and cloudy, which may limit sightings there. Reporting notes recent solar activity in the form of coronal mass ejections earlier in the week. Key points: - The Space Weather Prediction Center forecasts minor to moderate geomagnetic storm conditions for Friday night that could push the aurora into the northern U.S. - Reporting links the current disturbance to coronal mass ejections that erupted around New Year's Day. - The article lists 18 states where the aurora may be visible: Alaska, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Idaho, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington, Iowa, Oregon, New York, Wyoming, Nebraska and Illinois. - The activity comes during solar cycle 25, an approximately 11-year cycle of solar magnetic activity. - The Space Weather Prediction Center provides a 30-minute aurora forecast for short-term updates on where the lights may appear. Summary: The geomagnetic disturbance could make auroras visible across northern parts of 18 states Friday night, though conditions will vary by location. NOAA's short-term aurora forecast will provide updates on visibility; the full extent of sightings is undetermined at this time.