A full moon captured July 18, 2008.
Sean Smith / NASA
You know those classic holiday images of Santa Claus being towed by his reindeer across the night sky, silhouetted by a full moon? They're a lie — sort of.
Santa's real (of course), but full moons around the holiday are actually somewhat rare.
The last time there was a full moon on Christmas Day was actually 1977, according to meteorologists at the Weather Channel. And the next time this will happen won't be until 2034.
"Each year, December's full moon — the last of the year — gets the nickname the Full Long Night's Moon or the Full Cold Moon, in honor of the month's dark, cold nights," the website reports.
The Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Navy estimates that the moon will rise in Oregon around 5:38 p.m. and set around 7:37 a.m. the next day.
Given the stormy conditions this month, you may be wondering if you'll even have a chance to see the Yuletide rarity.
The National Weather Service forecasts that the Portland area could see some showers Friday morning, but skies should clear enough later in the day to see the full moon.
Meteorologists say Medford could receive some snow showers at as low as 500 feet of elevation over the next 24 hours, but skies should clear up there Friday evening as well. In Pendleton, the weather should be fairly clear with a few scattered snow showers. But be sure to bundle up for stargazing, because temperatures could dip into the low-20s Friday night.