Aurora forecast for Rovaniemi and Inari
Live Northern Lights forecast for Rovaniemi and Inari: the Kp index, the coming nights and the sky above our hotels right now.
Three things decide whether you see the Northern Lights tonight: activity in space, darkness, and a clear sky. This page shows all three, live, for the two places where our guests sleep.
Kp index now–Loading the latest measurement…
Tonight–Highest Kp forecast for the coming night
Coming nights
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Sky over Rovaniemi now–
Sky over Inari now–
Aurora oval forecast for the next 30–90 minutes. Green means a chance of auroras overhead, yellow and red a strong display. Finland is in the upper right of the globe. Data: NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (Kp index and OVATION model). Sky conditions: current weather at our hotels. A forecast is a guide, not a promise.
How to read the forecast
Kp index. A worldwide 0–9 scale of how disturbed the Earth’s magnetic field is, published for three-hour periods. Kp 5 or more is a geomagnetic storm. The number matters less this far north than most apps suggest: Lapland lies under the aurora oval, so a quiet Kp 1–2 night can still bring a clear green arc. Our guides explain the Kp index here.
The sky. Clouds are the most common reason people miss the auroras. A clear, dark sky with low activity beats a strong storm behind clouds. That is why the tiles above show the weather at our hotels, and why our hunting tours drive towards the clearest sky.
The map. The green band is the aurora oval. When it covers northern Finland, auroras are possible overhead. When it sits further north, look towards the northern horizon.
Darkness. The season runs from late August to April. From late April to mid-August the nights in Lapland are too bright.
Three ways not to miss them
Stay with us
Northern Lights Alert App
Guests at Aurora Hill Resort and Eight Seasons Inari get the app free of charge. It wakes you when the auroras appear above the resort, with three sensitivity levels.
Come with our guides
Northern Lights tours
Our guides read the cloud forecast, the weather and the aurora activity every evening and choose where to go. Photos of you under the auroras are included on the hunting tours.
See it right now
Live webcams
Check the sky over Rovaniemi and Lake Inari with your own eyes before you put your boots on.
Questions we get every evening
It says Kp 2. Is it worth going out?
In Lapland, often yes. If it is dark and the sky is clear, go out and look north. Many of the displays our guests photograph happen on nights with a low Kp.
What time of night is best?
Auroras can appear any time it is dark. The hours around magnetic midnight, roughly from 9 pm to 2 am in Finland, are usually the most active.
How far ahead can auroras be forecast?
Reliably, only about half an hour to an hour: that is how long the solar wind takes to travel from the measuring satellite to the Earth. The forecast for the coming nights is an outlook and often changes.
Where should I look?
Get away from street lights and look towards the north. During stronger activity the auroras rise overhead and can fill the whole sky. More on where to see them.
Do I need a tour to see the Northern Lights?
No. On a clear night at Aurora Hill Resort or Eight Seasons Inari you can often see them from your own cabin. A tour helps when the sky is cloudy where you are, because the guides drive to where it is clear.
For the scientific forecasts behind this page, see NOAA’s 30-minute aurora forecast and the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s auroras and space weather pages.
Customer Care
Do You Have a Question?
We have answered some of the most common questions on our FAQ page, but don’t be afraid to get in touch
Info & Booking:
Activities: +358 40 128 7846
Postmaster Hotel: +358 40 501 0660
Aurora Hill Resort +358 40 146 0980