Northern lights Finnish Lapland tonight
Finnish Lapland above 68°N sits inside the auroral oval. The threshold is Kp 1 to 2 - aurora is visible on most clear nights. Saariselkä, Ivalo, Levi, Ylläs, Kittilä, Luosto, and Rovaniemi all give access to Bortle 1 national park dark sky within minutes. Best season: late August to April.
Aurora visibility - Finnish Lapland
Possible tonight
Kp 1 is at the threshold for Finnish Lapland. Aurora may be visible from a dark site if cloud cover permits.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Finnish Lapland
Today
26 May
Tomorrow
27 May
Thu
28 May
Fri
29 May
Sat
30 May
Sun
31 May
Mon
1 Jun
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
What Kp is needed here?
Finnish Lapland sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 67°N. The Kp index - a global measure of geomagnetic activity on a scale from 0 (quiet) to 9 (extreme storm), updated every 3 hours - needs to reach Kp 1–2 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 1–2, visibility is possible from Finnish Lapland but skies need to be clear and dark. Cloud cover and light pollution remain the main obstacles even when Kp is high enough.
Best dark sky sites near Finnish Lapland
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Urho Kekkonen National Park
Get directions ↗Finland's second largest national park at 2,550 square kilometres, adjacent to Saariselkä fell resort. The park is a roadless wilderness of fells, rivers, and boreal forest - no artificial light sources inside the boundary. Bortle 1 conditions at the summit fells above the tree line. The Kiilopää fell centre at the park entrance gives guided aurora walks year-round. The open fell terrain above 400 metres is the ideal elevation for watching aurora without tree obstructions.
Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
Get directions ↗Finland's third largest national park, running 100 kilometres from Hetta in the north to Ylläs in the south. The Pallas fell range reaches 807 metres - the highest ground in Finnish Lapland accessible via a trail from the Pallastunturi hotel. Above the tree line, the sky is open in all directions. Bortle 1 conditions on the fells. The park is directly accessible from the Levi and Ylläs ski resorts, making it convenient for visitors already based at either resort.
Lemmenjoki National Park
Get directions ↗Finland's largest national park at 2,855 square kilometres, bordering Norway. The remotest of the Lapland national parks - the interior is accessible only by boat along the Lemmenjoki river or on foot. The park boundary is about 60 km north of Ivalo. Bortle 1 conditions throughout. For visitors staying in Ivalo, the empty forest roads north toward the park boundary already give dark sky well before the park itself.
Best time to see the northern lights in Finnish Lapland
At 67°N magnetic latitude, Finnish Lapland has one of the longest aurora seasons in the world. Meaningful darkness returns in late August and displays are possible on almost any clear night from September through March. Only the endless daylight of May, June, and July rules out viewing completely.
Activity peaks around the September and March equinoxes, when Earth's magnetic field geometry is most favourable for coupling with the solar wind. Events during these two windows tend to produce the strongest displays of the year for observers at Finnish Lapland's latitude.
May through July is effectively impossible for aurora viewing: the midnight sun keeps the sky bright around the clock at this latitude. No storm level, not even G5, can produce a visible display without astronomical darkness.
Finnish Lapland resort forecasts
← Finland overviewSaariselkä
Finland's best dark-sky area
Ivalo
Finland's northernmost town at 69°N
Levi
Lapland ski resort, glass igloos
Ylläs
Finland's highest fell at 718 m
Kittilä
Direct flights, gateway to Levi
Luosto
Purpose-built aurora resort
Rovaniemi
Gateway to Finnish Lapland
Related pages
Northern Lights Saariselkä Tonight
Saariselkä - Finland's best dark sky, Urho Kekkonen National Park on the doorstep.
Northern Lights Ivalo Tonight
Ivalo - Finland's northernmost town at 69°N, Kp 1 threshold.
Northern Lights Levi Tonight
Levi - glass igloos, direct UK flights, Kp 1-2.
Northern Lights Ylläs Tonight
Ylläs - Finland's highest fell, Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park.
Northern Lights Kittilä Tonight
Kittilä - direct flights from UK and Europe, gateway to Levi.
Northern Lights Luosto Tonight
Luosto - purpose-built aurora resort, quieter than Levi.
Northern Lights Rovaniemi Tonight
Rovaniemi - Arctic Circle gateway, Kp 2 threshold.
Northern Lights Finland Guide
Complete guide to Finnish Lapland aurora - resorts, timing, and what to expect.
Aurora photographs from Finnish Lapland

Aurora borealis over Finnish Lapland

Aurora borealis over Finnish Lapland

Aurora borealis over Finnish Lapland

Aurora borealis over Finnish Lapland
JIP · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

Aurora borealis over Finnish Lapland

Aurora borealis over Finnish Lapland
Common questions
Aurora in Finnish Lapland - resorts, thresholds, and what to expect.