Lapland, FinlandMagnetic latitude 66.5°493 m above sea level
Northern lights in Kilpisjärvi
Kilpisjärvi sits right under the auroral oval: on clear, dark nights the aurora is often overhead, even when activity is quiet. Clouds matter far more than the Kp number here.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 20:01.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Not tonight
- Solar activity Strong enough: Kp 2.7 expected, 0 needed here.
- Sky Overcast (88% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 20:01 to 06:44.
What to do: Not tonight — your next chance is shown just below.
- Detailed forecast Fri 16 2.7 Possible · Kp 2.7
- Sat 17 1.7 Possible · Kp 1.7
- Sun 18 1.7 Possible · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Mon 19 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 20 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Wed 21 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Thu 22 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Fri 23 4 Possible · Kp 4
- Sat 24 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Sun 25 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Mon 26 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 27 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Wed 28 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Thu 29 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Fri 30 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Sat 31 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Sun 1 5 Possible · Kp 5
- Mon 2 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Tue 3 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Wed 4 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Thu 5 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Fri 6 3 Possible · Kp 3
- Sat 7 3 Possible · Kp 3
Sunday 18 October — Possible · Kp 1.7 · best around 01:30 · Forecast cloud: 81%. · Reliability: medium
Each box is one night: the colour shows the chance, the number the expected Kp. Tap a night for details.
📅 Add these nights to your calendar — it updates itself (.ics)
How far ahead can the northern lights be forecast?
- Minutes to an hour: satellites 1.5 million km away measure the solar wind before it reaches Earth. This is the surest warning — the “Right now” box uses it.
- 1–3 days: when the Sun throws out a cloud of particles, it takes one to three days to arrive. NOAA's 3-hourly forecast covers these nights; the timing can still be off by a few hours.
- 4–27 days: the Sun turns once every 27 days, and regions that disturbed Earth's field last time often do it again. NOAA's 27-day outlook gives this rough trend — new eruptions are not in it yet.
Tonight
Updated 16:45 local time
Possible
Best around 03:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 0), average cloud 88%.
- Dark enough
- 20:01 – 06:44
- Sunset
- 17:54 · sunrise 08:52
- Moon
- 31%
- Kp neededKp index: a 0–9 measure of geomagnetic activity. The higher it is, the further from the poles the aurora reaches.
- Kp 0
- Look towards
- north (356°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Forecast cloud during tonight's darkness: 89% here. The clearest option within 100 km is about 100 km to the east, with 13%. Open in OpenStreetMap
MET Norway forecast at 24 points within 100 km, averaged over the dark hours. Check roads and conditions before driving.
Score = activity (NOAA Kp and OVATION) × clear sky (MET Norway) × darkness × moonlight. Methodology
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What you would see from Kilpisjärvi
Facing north. Bands show where the aurora sits at two activity levels.
| Kp | What you see | Lower edge | Ray tops | Distance to the aurora |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 2 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 3 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 4 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 5 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 6 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 7 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 8 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
| 9 | Overhead, and also to the south | – | – | – |
The Kp scale in plain words
Kp is a 0–9 score for how strongly the Earth's magnetic field is being shaken by the solar wind. The higher it goes, the further from the poles the northern lights reach. Kp 0–2 is a quiet night; Kp 5 and above is a geomagnetic storm.
- Kp 0–2 Quiet eye in Kilpisjärvi Only under the auroral oval: northern Norway, Swedish and Finnish Lapland, Iceland, Alaska, northern Canada.
- Kp 3 Unsettled next 24 h Bright in the Arctic; low on the horizon in central Scandinavia and southern Iceland.
- Kp 4 Active Overhead in the Arctic; low in the north from southern Norway, Sweden, Finland and northern Scotland.
- Kp 5 Minor storm (G1) Scotland, southern Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the northern US states and southern Canada.
- Kp 6 Moderate storm (G2) Northern England, Denmark, northern Germany and Poland, the US Midwest — often clearer in photos than to the eye.
- Kp 7 Strong storm (G3) Most of the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Czechia; red glow in photos from France and the northern Alps.
- Kp 8 Severe storm (G4) Central Europe to the eye; red sky in photos from northern Italy, Spain, the Balkans and Turkey's Black Sea coast.
- Kp 9 Extreme storm (G5) Seen across Europe and the US; in photos as far south as the Mediterranean, Turkey and North Africa (May 2024).
Light pollution
Pristine dark sky. Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.
Estimate from NASA VIIRS night-light data (sky-glow model within 50 km). Check access and private land before you go.
Hills and mountains
The terrain rises to about 9° above the horizon towards the north. That hides low aurora: here you need about Kp 0 instead of Kp 0. A hilltop, shore or open field with a clear view to the north helps.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Kilpisjärvi
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
January has been the best month (29% of nights), followed by February (27%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 27% | 27% | 5.6 h | 2° / 7°C |
| October | 22% | 22% | 10.4 h | -5° / -1°C |
| November | 25% | 25% | 13.9 h | -10° / -6°C |
| December | 24% | 24% | 15.6 h | -13° / -8°C |
| January | 29% | 29% | 14.6 h | -15° / -10°C |
| February | 27% | 27% | 11.5 h | -15° / -9°C |
| March | 24% | 24% | 7.8 h | -13° / -6°C |
| April | 9% | 26% | 1.1 h | -9° / -2°C |
Darkness through the year
- No full darkness (Sun 12° below the horizon) from 12 April to 30 August — the sky stays too bright for most auroras.
- Midnight sun from 21 May to 22 July.
- Polar night from 2 December to 10 January: the sun stays below the horizon, giving the longest viewing windows.
- Next new moon 9 November, next full moon 26 October. The darkest skies are in the week around new moon.
Aurora nights in Kilpisjärvi since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 4 October 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 3 April 2026 · Kp 5.7
- 2 April 2026 · Kp 5.0
- 22 March 2026 · Kp 6.7
- 20 March 2026 · Kp 7.0
- 13 March 2026 · Kp 6.0
- 3 March 2026 · Kp 5.0
Where to watch near Kilpisjärvi
-
Kilpisjärvi Visitor Centre
The Metsähallitus centre in the village is the trailhead for short walks into dark fell terrain. · about 1 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Salmivaara summit
A short trail from the village outdoor route (2.4 km return) leads to a summit with wide views over Lake Kilpisjärvi. · about 2 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Saana trailhead and lakeshore
The shore of Lake Kilpisjärvi below Saana is a popular place to photograph the aurora over the fell. · about 5 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Lake Tsahkaljärvi
A clear fell lake on a 3.3 km loop trail from the Visitor Centre, away from the road lights. · about 1 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Three-Country Cairn (Treriksröset)
The point where Finland, Sweden and Norway meet, reached only on foot or skis (11 km one way via the Malla trail), with an open view over the lake. · about 11 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- The Finnish Meteorological Institute rates Kilpisjärvi as Finland's best aurora location, with auroras on about 75% of dark, cloudless nights.
- Saana fell (1,029 m), sacred to the Sámi, rises about 556 m above Lake Kilpisjärvi and makes a classic aurora backdrop.
- The village is on the E8 at the meeting point of Finland, Sweden and Norway. The Three-Country Cairn is about 11 km away along the Malla trail.
- There is no airport nearby. Tromsø is about 176 km by road and Enontekiö about 160 km, so most visitors drive or take the bus along the E8.
- Winters are long and snowy, usually lasting from October into May, and the record low is −47.2 °C.
- In late winter the ski-track network covers about 55 km. Walking on the ski tracks is not allowed, but snowshoers can make their own paths.
In Malla Strict Nature Reserve you may move in winter only on foot, skis or snowshoes. Motor vehicles, dog sledding and campfires are banned.
Do not climb the fells in strong wind, snowstorms or poor visibility, because trail markers can be buried under snow.
Mobile coverage does not reach everywhere, so know where you can call the emergency number 112 from.
Practical information
- Typical low / high in January
- -15° / -10°C
- What to wear
- Arctic cold: wool base layers, insulated jacket and trousers, warm boots, hat and mittens. Full clothing guide
- Emergency number
- 112
- Winter driving
- Winter tyres are mandatory from 1 November to 31 March when weather or road conditions require them. Minimum tread is 3 mm, and since December 2024 non-studded winter tyres need the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. Studded tyres may be used from 1 November to 31 March or until the Monday after Easter. Fintraffic's Liikennetilanne (Traffic Situation) service shows road conditions and road weather cameras. Road conditions
- Access to land
- Everyman's right (jokamiehenoikeus) lets anyone move about, and camp or stay temporarily, in the countryside regardless of who owns it, without permission. It does not cover yards, cultivated land or other specially designated areas, nor activities that damage nature or disturb others.
- Official space-weather service
- Finnish Meteorological Institute: Auroras and space weather · FMI Auroras Now! (all-sky cameras) · ISES RWC Finland (FMI)
- Weather service
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI)
Questions and answers
What Kp do you need to see the aurora in Kilpisjärvi?
Kilpisjärvi sits right under the auroral oval: on clear, dark nights the aurora is often overhead, even when activity is quiet. Clouds matter far more than the Kp number here.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Kilpisjärvi?
Around Kilpisjärvi the aurora is often right overhead. Start by facing north, but look up and all around — in strong storms it can fill the whole sky and even appear behind you.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Kilpisjärvi?
Over 2005–2025, January gave the best odds in Kilpisjärvi (29% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by February (27%).
When is the aurora season in Kilpisjärvi?
From 12 April to 30 August the sky in Kilpisjärvi never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.
Is there much light pollution in Kilpisjärvi?
Almost no artificial light: faint aurora and the Milky Way are easy to see.
When was the aurora last possible in Kilpisjärvi?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Kilpisjärvi on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.0) — 739 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Kilpisjärvi share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Kilpisjärvi 5 km
- Pousu 21 km
- Saarikoski 28 km
- Iitto 38 km