Lapland, FinlandMagnetic latitude 63.7°Population 65,67090 m above sea level
Northern lights in Rovaniemi
From Rovaniemi the aurora can show up on almost any clear, dark night — low to the north when activity is quiet, higher and overhead when it picks up. Since 1995 that level (Kp 4.7) was reached during darkness here on 776 nights.
Right now
It is still light here. Darkness starts at 19:39.
Updates every minute while this page is open.
Tonight in one minute
Yes — good chance tonight
- Solar activity Strong enough: Kp 2.7 expected, 0 needed here.
- Sky Mostly clear (0% cloud).
- Darkness Dark from 19:39 to 06:27.
What to do: Go somewhere dark around 00:00, give your eyes 15 minutes to adjust and look north, low over the horizon.
- Detailed forecast Fri 16 2.7 Good chance · Kp 2.7
- Sat 17 1.7 Good chance · Kp 1.7
- Sun 18 1.7 Good chance · Kp 1.7
- 27-day trend Mon 19 2 Possible · Kp 2
- Tue 20 3 Good chance · 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
Saturday 17 October — Good chance · Kp 2.7 · best around 01:30 · Forecast cloud: 0%. · Reliability: good
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 16:43 local time
Excellent chance
Best around 00:00. Forecast max Kp 2.7 (this place needs 0), average cloud 0%.
- Dark enough
- 19:39 – 06:27
- Sunset
- 17:45 · sunrise 08:21
- 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 (358°)
Clearer skies nearby tonight
Tonight's cloud forecast is similar in every direction within 100 km (0% here), so driving is unlikely to help.
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 Rovaniemi
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 | Visible to the north | 17° | 31° | 311 km |
| 2 | Overhead and all around | – | – | – |
| 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 Rovaniemi 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
Bright suburban sky. Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
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 horizon towards the north is open (terrain below 2.7°), so low aurora is not blocked.
From elevation data (AWS Terrain Tiles) along seven lines of sight up to 30 km.
Best months to see the aurora in Rovaniemi
Share of nights 2005–2025 that were dark, active enough here and mostly clear.
September has been the best month (38% of nights), followed by March (34%).
| Month | Good nights | Clear nights | Darkness | Low / high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 38% | 38% | 6.4 h | 6° / 12°C |
| October | 20% | 20% | 10.5 h | 0° / 4°C |
| November | 22% | 22% | 13.5 h | -7° / -3°C |
| December | 20% | 20% | 15.1 h | -12° / -6°C |
| January | 26% | 26% | 14.1 h | -15° / -9°C |
| February | 27% | 27% | 11.5 h | -14° / -8°C |
| March | 34% | 34% | 8.1 h | -11° / -4°C |
| April | 24% | 44% | 2.1 h | -4° / 2°C |
Darkness through the year
- No full darkness (Sun 12° below the horizon) from 19 April to 23 August — the sky stays too bright for most auroras.
- Midnight sun from 6 June to 6 July.
- Next new moon 9 November, next full moon 26 October. The darkest skies are in the week around new moon.
Aurora nights in Rovaniemi since 1995
Nights when Kp reached 4.7 or more while it was dark here.
Most recent strong nights
- 10 October 2026 · Kp 7.3
- 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 Rovaniemi
-
Ounasvaara
Drive to the ski area car park and walk a short way to an open area with unobstructed views. · about 5 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Ounasjoki riverside at Arktikum
An open riverbank close to the centre for strong displays, though the city lights are nearby. · about 1 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Arctic Circle / Santa Claus Village
Open areas right on the Arctic Circle north of the city, darker than the centre. · about 8 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Lake Norvajärvi
A lake north of the city where Arctic Park runs aurora evenings, with an open view over the ice. · about 17 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
-
Vikajärvi
A more remote village and lake east of the city, well away from urban light. · about 27 km · Open in OpenStreetMap
Local knowledge
- Visit Rovaniemi gives the aurora season as late August to mid-April. Sightings are never guaranteed, so use a forecast and keep your plans flexible.
- The city centre is about 6 km south of the Arctic Circle, where Santa Claus Village stands, and Rovaniemi Airport is about 10 km north of the centre.
- Rovaniemi has no true polar night, but the sun barely rises in December, and January daily lows average about −13.5 °C.
- The city sits where the Ounasjoki joins the Kemijoki. The Ounasvaara hill across the river is the closest dark, open spot to town.
- Many tours drive, snowmobile or take you by reindeer sleigh out of town, for example to Arctic Park by Lake Norvajärvi, about 20 minutes away.
Respect private property and farmland, and stop only at safe parking places or rest areas, never on the roadside.
Stay off river and lake ice unless it is officially marked as safe, because the rivers near the city have strong currents.
Practical information
- Nearest airport
- Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) · 9 km
- Typical low / high in September
- 6° / 12°C
- What to wear
- Cool nights: layers, a windproof jacket, hat and gloves for standing still outside. 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 Rovaniemi?
From Rovaniemi the aurora can show up on almost any clear, dark night — low to the north when activity is quiet, higher and overhead when it picks up.
Which way should I look for the aurora in Rovaniemi?
Face north (about 358° from true north). At Kp 0 the lower edge of the aurora sits roughly 17° above the horizon; stronger activity lifts it higher and further across the sky.
What is the best month to see the aurora in Rovaniemi?
Over 2005–2025, September gave the best odds in Rovaniemi (38% of nights dark, active enough and mostly clear), followed by March (34%).
When is the aurora season in Rovaniemi?
From 19 April to 23 August the sky in Rovaniemi never gets dark enough. Outside that period the aurora can be seen whenever activity and clouds allow.
Is there much light pollution in Rovaniemi?
Strong sky glow washes out faint aurora. Head out of town for anything but a bright display.
When was the aurora last possible in Rovaniemi?
Activity last reached storm level (Kp 5 or more) during darkness in Rovaniemi on 10 October 2026 (Kp 7.3) — 776 such nights since 1995. Here the aurora also appears on many quieter nights.
Also covered by this forecast
Villages and districts around Rovaniemi share its forecast: within a few kilometres the sky, the Kp needed and the best direction are the same.
- Santamäki 0 km
- Etelärinne 0 km
- Ahkiomaa 1 km
- Suosiola 1 km
- Jääskeläinen 1 km
- Korkalorinne 1 km
- Niemelänkangas 2 km
- Kirkonkangas 2 km
- Viirinkangas 2 km
- Rantavitikka 2 km
- Korvanniemi 2 km
- Vaaranlaki 2 km
- Korkalovaara 2 km
- Sahanperä 2 km
- Ratantaus 2 km
- Lapinrinne 2 km
- Länsikangas 2 km
- Aronperä 2 km
- Katajaranta 3 km
- Ojanperä 3 km
- Paavalniemi 3 km
- Napapiirin Ryhmäpuutarha 3 km
- Ala-Korkalo 4 km
- Ylikylä 4 km
- Vennivaara 4 km
- Pöykkölä 5 km
- Niskanperä 6 km
- Häkinvaara 11 km
- Rautiosaari 12 km
- Heikkilänranta 12 km
- Koskenranta 15 km
- Hirvas 15 km
- Elingonranta 16 km
- Sinettä 19 km
- Sinetänsalmi 19 km
- Muurola 19 km
- Lehtojärvi 20 km
- Pikkukylä 20 km
- Kivitaipale 22 km
- Mutkanperä 23 km