Aurora destinations · Norway
Northern lights in Alta
Norway · 69.97°N, 23.27°E
Alta lies under the auroral oval, so aurora is often overhead: a dark, clear night has good odds even when activity is low (magnetic latitude 67°). Light pollution: there is some town glow.
Open the live forecast for Alta
At a glance
- Good odds: from any Kp at a dark site
- Best months: March, February and January
- Best weeks in the coming year: 27 Jan – 9 Feb · 24 Feb – 9 Mar · 24 Mar – 13 Apr
- Too light for aurora: 21 Apr – 24 Aug (bright nights)
- Polar night: 26 Nov – 16 Jan (the sun doesn’t rise)
- Midnight sun: 18 May – 28 Jul (the sun doesn’t set; no aurora)
Month by month
A typical night: real darkness and moon, average aurora activity (Kp 2014–2025) and satellite cloud cover (NASA, 2001–2025). Long-range odds, not a forecast.
| Month | Typical night | Clear sky | Dark hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10% | 21% | 16 h |
| February | 10% | 21% | 13 h |
| March | 11% | 22% | 8 h |
| April | 5% | 24% | 2 h |
| May | Too light | 23% | – |
| June | Too light | 20% | – |
| July | Too light | 22% | – |
| August | 3% | 22% | 1 h |
| September | 9% | 19% | 7 h |
| October | 8% | 16% | 12 h |
| November | 9% | 19% | 16 h |
| December | 9% | 18% | 18 h |
Tips for Alta
- Clouds decide most nights: check the hour-by-hour forecast, and the “Clearer skies nearby” card for a spot within a drive.
- Aurora is usually best between about 22:00 and 02:00 local time; give your eyes 15 minutes in the dark.
- Get away from the town lights: even 10–20 km makes a difference.