Northern lights Ylläs tonight
Ylläs sits at ~68°N magnetic latitude inside the auroral oval. Kp 1–2 is sufficient on a clear night. Finland's highest fell at 718 m gives 360° dark sky above the treeline, and glass roof aurora cabins are available at the base. Polar night: late November to mid-January.
Aurora visibility - Ylläs
Possible tonight
Kp 1 is at the threshold for Ylläs. Aurora may be visible from a dark site if cloud cover permits.
Current Kp
1
of 9
7-day outlook for Ylläs
Today
19 May
Tomorrow
20 May
Thu
21 May
Fri
22 May
Sat
23 May
Sun
24 May
Mon
25 May
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
What Kp is needed here?
Ylläs sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 68°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 Ylläs 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 Ylläs
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Ylläs fell summit
Get directions ↗At 718 m, Ylläs is the highest fell in Finnish Lapland and gives a 360° unobstructed horizon above the treeline. The summit plateau is used by aurora guides as the primary viewing position. No trees, no buildings, no artificial light in any direction. The gondola and ski lifts allow access without snowshoes on clear nights when conditions are active.
Äkäslompolo lake
Get directions ↗The lake at the foot of Ylläs fell freezes solid from November and gives a wide flat ice surface with open sky in all directions. On calm nights the ice reflects aurora directly. The village of Äkäslompolo on the west shore generates very little light scatter. A 5-minute walk from most resort hotels places you on the ice with an unobstructed northern horizon.
Kesänki fell
Get directions ↗The neighbouring fell east of Ylläs is connected by marked winter trail. At a similar altitude and treeless above 550 m, Kesänki gives a different perspective on the sky - useful when aurora is concentrated to the north-east. Guides sometimes use it to avoid the small amount of resort lighting on the Ylläs side. Accessible on snowshoe from the fell base in about two hours.
Best time to see the northern lights in Ylläs
At 68°N magnetic latitude, Ylläs 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 Ylläs'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.
Related pages
Northern Lights Finland
Finland-wide aurora forecast hub.
Northern Lights Levi Tonight
Levi - Finnish Lapland's most popular ski and aurora resort, 30 km north.
Northern Lights Kittilä Tonight
Kittilä - the airport gateway to Levi and Ylläs, 60 km north.
Northern Lights Photography
Camera settings for fell summit and aurora cabin photography.
What Is the Kp Index?
Why Kp 1-2 is enough inside the auroral oval at 68°N.
Common questions
Aurora watching at Ylläs - fell summit, glass roof cabins, and Finnish Lapland.
