Northern lights in Tärnaby/Hemavan tonight
Western Swedish Lapland · 66° magnetic latitude · Kp 2-3 threshold
Kp 1 is below the threshold for Tärnaby/Hemavan. Activity would need to rise to Kp 2-3 before aurora could reach this latitude.
7-day outlook for Tärnaby/Hemavan
Based on CME arrival predictions from NASA DONKI. Arrival times ±6 hours.
auroratonight.space
What Kp is needed here?
Tärnaby/Hemavan sits at a magnetic latitude of approximately 66°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 2-3 before the auroral oval expands far enough south to be visible from here.
At Kp 2-3, visibility is possible from Tärnaby/Hemavan 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 Tärnaby/Hemavan
Light pollution is the biggest obstacle after cloud cover. These sites give you the best dark northern horizon within reach.
Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve
Get directions ↗Sweden's largest nature reserve at 5,628 km², with Hemavan as its principal western entry point and the visitor centre at Naturum Vindelfjällen. Vast protected wilderness with essentially no artificial light beyond the resort itself.
Kungsleden trailhead, Hemavan
Get directions ↗The northern/western starting point of Kungsleden, Sweden's famous long-distance hiking trail. Even a short walk from the trailhead puts you well into open mountain terrain with a genuinely dark sky.
Tärnaby resort area
Get directions ↗The smaller of the twin resort villages, home to the ski club that produced Ingemar Stenmark and Anja Pärson. Some resort lighting, but the surrounding mountain terrain keeps it dark enough for a good display on an active night.
Best time to see the northern lights in Tärnaby/Hemavan
At 66°N magnetic latitude, Tärnaby/Hemavan 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 Tärnaby/Hemavan'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.
Other Sweden aurora forecasts
Up to 8 locations
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A ski legend's hometown, and a gateway into Sweden's largest wilderness
Tärnaby and Hemavan, twin villages about 18-19 km apart near the Norwegian border, are best known in Sweden as the training ground and hometown of alpine skiing champions Ingemar Stenmark and Anja Pärson. Hemavan is also the main western entry point into the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve - Sweden's largest protected wilderness area - and the starting point of the famous Kungsleden hiking trail, giving it a genuine reason to visit beyond the ski slopes.
When to go
The season runs roughly late August to early April, matching the rest of Swedish Lapland, with peak darkness November through March. At around 66 degrees magnetic latitude - further south than Kiruna or Abisko despite being further west - a Kp of 2-3 on the geomagnetic activity scale is the level to watch for, a somewhat higher bar than those better-known destinations but still low and regularly achieved.
Getting there and getting around
Hemavan-Tärnaby Airport, unusually located right in Hemavan village, has around one flight daily, six days a week, from Stockholm-Arlanda; you can compare flights to Scandinavia as a starting point. Alternatively, Mo i Rana in Norway is closer than most Swedish gateway towns at around 97 km from Hemavan, with a seasonal ski bus connecting the two. A hire car helps for reaching the Vindelfjällen trailheads; you can compare car rental prices for getting around.
Where to watch
The Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve, entered from Hemavan, is the standout option - vast protected wilderness with essentially no artificial light beyond the resort itself. The Kungsleden trailhead at the Hemavan visitor centre puts you into open mountain terrain within a short walk. The Tärnaby resort area itself, 18-19 km away, is dark enough for a good display once you're clear of any direct resort lighting.
What to expect, honestly
Tärnaby/Hemavan's Kp 2-3 threshold is a step up from the Kp 1 you'll find at Kiruna or Abisko, reflecting its more southerly position - so treat it as a genuine but slightly less reliable option than those better-known Lapland destinations. The upside is a smaller, quieter resort setting with direct access to one of Sweden's largest wilderness areas, and a real skiing pedigree if that's part of the draw for you.
Related pages
Northern Lights Sweden
Sweden-wide aurora forecast hub.
Read →Northern Lights Kiruna Tonight
Kiruna - Swedish Lapland transport hub, further north and east.
Read →Northern Lights Umeå Tonight
Umeå - the main coastal gateway, further east.
Read →Northern Lights Luleå Tonight
Swedish Lapland's coastal gateway, archipelago dark sky.
Read →What Is the Kp Index?
Why Kp 2-3 is needed at this more southerly Lapland latitude.
Read →Aurora photographs from Tärnaby/Hemavan
Real photos sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
Aurora over Tärnaby/Hemavan
Aurora over Tärnaby/Hemavan
Aurora over Tärnaby/Hemavan
Aurora over Tärnaby/Hemavan
Aurora over Tärnaby/Hemavan
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