The best aurorae-watching season starts at the end of August, when the nights get darker, and ends at the start of April, when the nights start to get lighter. Seeing them requires clear skies and just a bit of luck: the Northern Lights are visible on roughly 200 nights a year – or every other clear night – in Lapland.
How likely is it to see the Northern Lights in Lapland?
In northern Lapland, the lights shine just about every other clear night between September and March, while in southern Finland, they’re only visible about 10-20 nights a year. Head north, and if the night sky looks clear and starry, you probably have a good chance of seeing the Northern Lights.
What is the best month to see aurora in Finland?
The best time to see the northern lights in Finland is from December to March. During these months there are also plenty of fun winter activities for you to enjoy. So even if the weather isn’t on your side, you will still have an incredible time in Lapland.
What is the best time to visit Finland to see the Northern Lights?
In fact, the best times for viewing the Aurora Borealis are in the autumn and spring. The Northern Lights season in Finnish Lapland spans from mid-August until early April. Contrary to popular belief, the best times for spotting the Auroras are at the beginning and end of the season.
What is the best month to go to Lapland?
The best time to visit Lapland for a snow-dusted getaway is between November and March. During these winter months, the landscapes are blanketed by the thickest coating of snow you’ll see all year. And if you fancy taking the little ones to meet the big man in red, November and December are your best bets.
How do you guarantee to see the Northern Lights?
Know When To Go
You should also look for clear skies on the weather forecast, and avoid rainy or snowy nights. To increase your chances, spend a few nights searching for the lights rather than just one.
What are you not supposed to do at the Northern Lights?
Don’t whistle at the Northern Lights
The biggest faux pas you can commit while viewing the Northern Lights is to wave, sing or whistle at them. Alerted to your presence, the spirits of the lights will come down and take you away.
Is 2022 a good aurora year?
“There will continue to be aurora viewing opportunities in 2022,” Steenburgh said. “The solar cycle is indeed ramping up and as solar activity increases, so do the chances for Earth-directed blobs of plasma, the coronal mass ejections, which drive the geomagnetic storms and aurora.”
Which part of Lapland is best?
Best places to visit in Lapland
- ROVANIEMI. BEST FOR: • The indoor Santa Park, which features a post office where you can send postcards home.
- KITTILA. BEST FOR: • The Snow Village, made from real ice and snow.
- IVALO. BEST FOR: • Snowmobile and husky sled rides, plus meet the reindeer.
- KUUSAMO. BEST FOR: •
Where is the best place to see the Northern Lights in Lapland?
The chances of seeing aurora borealis in Lapland are the highest around the latitude of Kilpisjärvi, which is a small town located in Finland’s northern “arm” near the northwesternmost point of Finland. When the sky is clear on that latitude, the likelihood to see the northern lights is three out of four nights!
Is Lapland a good place to see Northern Lights?
Lapland, Finland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. This region sees the Northern Lights 200 out of 300 nights in a year! Those are pretty incredible odds! Sure, the probability is skewed more towards the winter months and depends on a few additional factors (listed below).
What months are the Northern Lights most visible?
When is the best time of year to see the northern lights?
- Spring and autumn generally provide more stable weather conditions and milder temperatures plus there is greater aurora activity around the equinoxes.
- November through to February offer the darkest skies and longer evenings for maximum sky-gazing.
Is Finland or Norway better for Northern Lights?
Norway is undoubtedly the best place for seeing the northern lights in Scandinavia, especially if you want to capture the aurora dancing above spectacular fjords and waterfalls. However, Sweden and Finland are both great options if you want to see the northern lights on a smaller budget.
What is the coldest month in Lapland?
Average temperatures and daylight hours and snow depth for Lapland:
| Month | Temperature Averages – High/Low (Typically showing Day/Night) | Overall Average Temperature |
|---|---|---|
| December | – 7°C /- 16 °C | -12 °C |
| January | – 8°C /- 17 °C | -14 °C |
| February | – 8°C /- 17 °C | -13 °C |
| March | – 3°C /- 13 °C | -8 °C |
How many days are enough for Lapland?
An average stay in Lapland is usually 4 days. This is a short getaway that can also be easily extended with extra nights and optional activities. But don’t let that restrict you, pick what interests you the most and Nordic Visitor can tailor your dream trip.
Can I wear jeans in Lapland?
Even if you’re visiting Lapland during the winter, most places you will visit at night will be warm and heated. This means you can wear your favourite jeans and a jumper whilst you’re out for dinner and drinks, but just make sure you wrap up warm to get there.
Do the Northern Lights happen every night?
No. Huge geomagnetic storms, the kind that can cause very intense displays of the northern lights, don’t happen every night, even during solar maximum. During solar minimum, they still happen, just less frequently.
Can you predict when there will be Northern Lights?
As a naturally occurring phenomenon, the appearance of the Northern Lights is notoriously difficult to predict any further in advance than about two hours before it happens.
Can the Northern Lights be seen without a camera?
8. You don’t need a good camera. If the aurora is strong enough, you WILL be able to see it with your naked eye with no question about what you’re looking at. But when the aurora is weaker, it’s sometimes tricky to differentiate between wispy clouds and the Northern Lights.
Why shouldn’t you whistle at the Northern Lights?
Thought to be the souls of the dead, the Sámi believed you shouldn’t talk about the Northern Lights. It was also dangerous to tease them by waving, whistling or singing under them, as this would alert the lights to your presence. If you caught their attention, the lights could reach down and carry you up into the sky.
Can Northern Lights be touched?
Secondly, the aurora are essentially photon emissions from nitrogen and oxygen molecules, so you can’t really touch it (as much as you can ‘touch’ a sunbeam). Even the gas that emits the photons is extremely tenuous.