Aurora destinations · Norway
Northern lights in Tromsø
Norway · 69.65°N, 18.96°E
Tromsø 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 Tromsø
At a glance
- Good odds: from any Kp at a dark site
- Best months: September, October and February
- Best weeks in the coming year: 31 Mar – 13 Apr · 1–14 Sept · 22 Sept – 12 Oct
- Too light for aurora: 21 Apr – 24 Aug (bright nights)
- Polar night: 28 Nov – 15 Jan (the sun doesn’t rise)
- Midnight sun: 19 May – 26 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 | 7% | 17% | 16 h |
| February | 7% | 17% | 13 h |
| March | 7% | 16% | 8 h |
| April | 4% | 19% | 2 h |
| May | Too light | 20% | – |
| June | Too light | 19% | – |
| July | Too light | 21% | – |
| August | 3% | 21% | 1 h |
| September | 8% | 18% | 7 h |
| October | 7% | 17% | 12 h |
| November | 7% | 16% | 16 h |
| December | 7% | 15% | 17 h |
Tips for Tromsø
- 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.