Seeing the Northern Lights is undoubtedly one of the most captivating experiences you can have when travelling in Scandinavia and the Nordics. Although a sighting is never guaranteed, choosing the right time of year is key when it comes to maximising your chances of experiencing this ethereal phenomenon. In places that lie beneath the auroral oval (roughly 60-75° N), the nights are too bright to see the Northern Lights in May, June and July – so you can safely rule out this period if aurora hunting is on your agenda. Below, our month-by-month guide will help you decide when to plan your Northern Lights adventure.
August
August brings the first auroras of the season
August marks the start of the Northern Lights season in Scandinavia. South of the Arctic Circle, it’s possible to see them earlier in the month, while further north, the first displays are usually from the middle to the end of the month as the hours of darkness gradually increase. It still doesn’t get fully dark even in the middle of the night, but the aurora can be seen during astronomical or even nautical twilight. Generally, you need a stronger display for the Northern Lights to be visible at this time of year.
September
September is one of the best months of the year for aurora hunting
September is when the Northern Lights season really kicks off. In fact, this is one of the best months of the year to go aurora hunting, as temperatures are usually still quite mild and the weather is usually fairly settled, meaning plenty of clear skies at night. By the middle of the month, the sun sets at around 7-7.30pm in places such as Tromso, Luleå and Rovaniemi, so in the daytime you can enjoy activities such as hiking, cycling and kayaking, while at night, there’s a good window of opportunity for the Northern Lights to make an appearance. This is when most tour operators begin offering Northern Lights tours. The period around the autumn equinox is often associated with higher levels of auroral activity, so there’s a strong chance of catching some truly scintillating displays in September.
October
Northern Lights season is in full swing in October
Much like September, October tends to offer excellent Northern Lights viewing conditions as well as comfortable temperatures and ample daylight for outdoor adventures. It also benefits from the equinox effect, meaning a very reasonable possibility of intense and vibrant auroral activity. As this is outside the peak travel season for many destinations in northern Scandinavia, it’s worth noting that October can also offer superb value in terms of accommodation and flights. Lakes are generally not frozen at this time of year, either, so you can see the Northern Lights reflected on the water, which creates particularly spectacular photo opportunities.
November
Northern Lights in Svalbard during Polar Night
The nights rapidly draw in throughout November and snow usually begins to settle on the ground as autumn morphs into winter. By the middle of the month, there’s just a few hours of daylight in northern Scandinavia and by the end of the month, places such as Alta and Tromso in the Norwegian Arctic are plunged into Polar Night, as the sun doesn’t rise at all. The long hours of darkness create an extended window of opportunity for Northern Lights hunting, but limited scope for exploring during the daytime. Bear in mind that November is often a rather cloudy month with unsettled weather conditions, so it may be necessary to drive longer distances in search of clear skies.
December
Northern Lights over the snowy forests of Finnish Lapland (Image: Visit Rovaniemi)
Much of northern Scandinavia sees no sunrise throughout December and even those places on the fringes of the Arctic Circle that don’t experience a true Polar Night only see two or three hours between sunrise and sunset. In Rovaniemi, for instance, the sun rises around 11am on the winter solstice and dips back below the horizon again shortly after 1pm. If you don’t mind the extremely short days and colder temperatures, December can be a delightful time to visit this part of the world – albeit, not necessarily the best month if seeing the Northern Lights is your primary goal, despite the long hours of darkness. Hotels tend to fill up far in advance and prices reach their peak around Christmas time. It can also be quite a cloudy month, although this varies year on year.
January
Northern Lights over the Lofoten Islands in the middle of winter
With fewer crowds and lower prices than December, along with long nights and often plenty of clear skies, January is typically a reliable bet for planning Northern Lights adventures alongside classic winter activities including husky sledding and snowmobiling. Packing plenty of warm clothing is essential, however, as temperatures tend to stay well below freezing in most areas and can even dip below -30°C. By the middle of the month, the sun makes its way back over the horizon as Polar Night comes to an end in places such as Tromso and Kiruna, and the days quickly begin to lengthen.
February
February usually offers ideal conditions for Northern Lights viewing
February is prime time for Northern Lights viewing and snowy scenery all over northern Scandinavia. There’s an ideal balance of sufficient daylight to explore the Arctic wilderness during the day, and plenty of darkness for hunting the aurora by night. It also tends to be the coldest month of the year, but this is no reason not to visit so long as you come well prepared. If you join a Northern Lights tour, most companies will provide you with specialist thermal clothing anyway.
March
March is often an excellent month for intense aurora displays
A combination of long days, dark nights, plenty of clear skies and the spring equinox effect makes March one of the best months to see the Northern Lights. Temperatures are also milder than in January or February, but the landscapes are still blanketed in snow, so this is also a great time to go husky sledding or snowmobiling. It may technically be spring, but this time of year is commonly known as ‘sunny winter’ in northern Scandinavia.
April
It's still possible to see the Northern Lights in early April
Hours of true darkness rapidly diminish throughout April, but the first week of the month can actually be one of the best times of the year to see the Northern Lights. Being close enough to the spring equinox, early April tends to bring a handful of stunning displays, along with clear skies and noticeably warmer temperatures. It’s still possible to see the aurora around the middle of the month, especially if there’s strong activity, but by the last week of April the Northern Lights season draws to a close as the nights are too bright for the aurora to shine through.
