February 2023
February 1st
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany and Colombia.
- Weather Tromsø: Part clear.
- Destination / weather: Nakkedalen / clear / just a few passing clouds.
- Aurora activity: 7/10.
- Aurora show: All over and far south, spikes, curls and several waves with dancing curtains in two colors.
- Tour km: 100.
- Tour hrs: 6.
Originally, I am a wildlife & mountain guide ... so, what I am really like to do, is that my guests shall get a really close taste of the the Arctic environment, so therefore I like to bring them out from the main road ... for get an better feeling ... and with my storytellling I explain how and what we use the fire for; re, food and overnight in the snow ...
My first plan was to finally get an coastal chase again to our lovely Fjords & Mountains area west of Tromsø on Kvaløya island, but the weather forecast changed again ... which is quite normal here in the Arctic ...
So, the question was how far east we had to drive ... when I got a message from my colleague Geir in Boreal Expeditions which reported about overcast 45 km south, then I headed 50 km east instead towards my colleague Dan in Arctic X who had 98% clear sky ... let`s hope that will last ...
We passed a area in the Breivikeiddalen valley with 18 degrees minus, and found a tiny parking spot along the road, and there it was only 12 minus ... I didn`t see any reason to drive further since 6 minibuses had already drive in before us, and there`s not so many good places to stop ...
... so, when the parking spot is too small, I had to use my spade for dig out in the snowy landscape ... so, after 2 hours with help from one of my guests, we had a great space with several spots for the photographers tripods and a lovely place for the camp fire with the wilderness feeling.
After a lovely Aurora evening with okey performance of Lady Aurora (7/10 in my Aurora Blog), I told my guests that we will stay one more hour, to 11.30 pm ... but, when more and more of my guests wanted to step inside the bus before 11 pm ... then I asked if they was happy, and when they said yes, I have no problem to take an early night off ...
But, that`s pity ... since when I dropped off my guests around midnight at theirs AirBnb´s and hotels, then tonight`s best show started ... maybe an 10/10 show with coronas ... that`s the game ... if you haven`t enough patience, then ...
February 5th
- Guests / Country: 13 guests from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Germany, France and China.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
- Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley, Golggagobba (border) and Kilpisjärvi, Finland.
- Aurora activity: 2/10.
- Aurora show: A couple of ribbons across, spikes and curtains.
- Tour km: 340.
- Tour hrs: 7,5.
- Wildlife: One fox and two moose.
February 7th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Bosnia & Herzegovina, Switzerland, USA, Russia, China and UK.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
- Destination / weather: 3 spots Skibotndalen valley / part clear.
- Aurora activity: 4/10.
- Aurora show: Several ribbons across the sky, spikes, curls and little moving curtains.
- Tour km: 300.
- Tour hrs: 7,5.
- Wildlife: One fox.
Tonight`s activity started already at 3 pm (!) and the best show was probably between 5-7 pm while we was driving out in the heavy clouds conditions, but we could follow the activity on the different sky cameras far east into Finland.
My first plan was to drive 240 km SE, but when we got the clear sky at the half way before the border, and when I heard from my colleagues it has cleared up behind us closer to the city, I decided to do a backdrive ... and when we was back down in the valley the sky was 70% clear, so we stayed there rest of the evening.
But, the Lady was lazy rest of the night ...
February 9th - Private Aurora Chase
- Guests / Country: 10 guests from India.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
- Destination / weather: 2 spots Skibotndalen valley / part clear..
- Aurora activity: 4/10.
- Aurora show: Several ribbons across the sky, spikes, curls, and curtains. Little pink dancing, visible for the naked eyes.
- Tour km: 300.
- Tour hrs: 7.
- Wildlife: An Raccoon Dog (?) - if it was that, it was first time in my life I have seen one.
What a lovely night out chasing with 10 Indian ladies ;)
I was first planned to do a long drive into the Finnish Lapland, but when we came the half way, the sky was partly clear and Lady Aurora was already quite active ...
February 10th - Private Aurora Chase
- Guests / Country: 9 guests from India.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
- Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Finland / clear.
- Aurora activity: 8/10.
- Aurora show: All over, far south. Spikes, curls and dancing curtains in 2 colors visble for the nakes eyes. 3 colors on camera.
- Tour km: 370.
- Tour hrs: 7,5.
9/10 Indian ladies followed me out on tonight`s long drive to the frozen border river between Swedish- and Finnish Lapland, where we got an really great Aurora show ...
February 14th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, China and UK.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain / +9 degrees celcius (!!).
- Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / Finnish border / part clear / haze / cloudy.
- Aurora activity: 6/10.
- Aurora show: All over and towards south, curtains, spikes and curls. Three colors on camera.
- Tour km: 310.
- Tour hrs: 7,5.
The first plan was to do the season longest chase into totally clear sky, 250 km SE of Tromsø, into to Finnish Lapland, but when we was 6 km before the Finnish border, the activity was already quite good and the sky was partly clear, so we ended up in the border area ...
And my body was happy for that ... it feels now, that I have go through the hardest year in my 26 years as a prof. guide, where the two last was quite deep down in hell during the corona time ...
33 chases left of my 17. Aurora season, and then I will take an five months vacation (read: a lot of work on our three properties in Finnmark, Telemark and here at my own house at Ringvassøya, where I also have started the final project of my dream from 1994; My own camp with accommodation, tasty local meals and outdoor activities ...
February 15th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, China and UK.
- Weather Tromsø: Clear, but incoming clouds.
- Destination / weather: Naustbukta / Ramfjordmoen / clear / cloudy / part clear.
- Aurora activity: 8/10.
- Aurora show: All over, far south, curtains, spikes, curls and a couple of coronas. Deep red color on camera.
- Tour km: 140.
- Tour hrs: 5.
What a crazy beautiful colorful night of Lady Aurora ...
The solar speed was quite low, only 340 km/s, but the density was high around 10, and Spaceweather.com had forecasted an incoming storm at February 14th or/and 15th ...
It begin the night of 14th, the Valentines night, and we got that too ... but, the craziest thing was it never stopped ... so for them who was awake all night and early morning before sunrise, it could get an close to 24/7 Aurora show ...
Since when I left my home at 5 pm it was already there, on lovely blue sky ...
Yeah, I knew .. I am addicted ... after 17 Aurora seasons and nearly 1900 chase nights, I still had to stop several times on my drive the 43 km into the city center for pick up my guests ...
Then I asked them; "Have you seen Northern Lights this afternoon ?" ... and the answer is the same as before; "No".
It`s a shame actually ... since you`ve spend so much money, and travel so far for seen an natural phenomena, then I think; You should spend all your time to watch the sky ... and yes; You can see her dancing over the city too ... not so easy to take pics of it, but viewing it; Oh yes ;)
Down from the harbour you´ve a great view over the strait towards the bridge and the Arctic Cathedral, which is a great location to view it, when the sky is clear and the Aurora activity is high ... like yesterday.
After done a search nearby the city for an dark spot, since the activity was soooo high, I didn`t took the chance to drive too far, since she was already on the south sky and could explote any minute ... but, the clouds was arriving very fast from the western coast, so we drove further.
45 km SE of the city we had totally clear sky, so I decided to stop there, and Lady Aurora was RED ... at least on the pictures.
We could drive further, but then we had missed the first great show ... so, after some lovely chats around the campfire we headed back towards the city super early ...
But, in Ramfjord, 20 km from the city the sky was partly clear again, so I asked of my guests if they wanted to see more; And when one of the kids screamed out YES, then I contined the chase ;)
The Lady was deep far on the south sky, and of experience it`s 90% chance she will give us an new crazy show ... but, after 30 mins waiting it got overcast again ... so, I ended the chase.
It`s pity, since 30 mins later, when all my guests was back at theirs accommodations, tonight`s probably best show arrived ... maybe a 10/10 ...
February 16th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, Austria, France, Australia and UK.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
- Destination / weather: Sommarøy / cloudy / sleet / rain / part clear / haze.
- Aurora activity: 2/10.
- Aurora show: Couple of ribbons across the sky, spikes and cutrtains. Two colors on camera.
- Tour km: 110.
- Tour hrs: 7.
and how much bad weather we had fighting with this season, but still most of the nights with success ...
February 17th - Private Aurora Chase
- Guests / Country: 11 guests from USA.
- Weather Tromsø: Clear.
- Destination / weather: Kvalsundet / GuideGunnar`s Camp Aurora / clear.
- Aurora activity: 4/10.
- Aurora show: A couple of ribbons low on the north sky, some spikes, curls and curtains. Two colors on camera.
- Tour km: 110.
- Tour hrs: 5.
- Wildlife: 6 reindeers.
Finally !! An perfect clear day and night on the the coast again ;) ...
The last night I was on the coast was yesterday (!), but then the weather wasn`t perfect clear, but the only place with some gaps ... so, the last great one was at January 29th.
It was lovely to have an clear night since I had a private tour with americans from the cruise ship "Viking Venus".
So, I drove first to an lovely location 30 km north of the city where we got tonight`s only Aurora show, and then we continued from the west to the east side of Ringvassøya island, home to my place, where I made a camp fire with chairs, so my my guests could relax with hot drink and lefse snacks ;)
10.30 pm they liked to return to the ship, so that`s just great for me, since I had a early flight south next morning ...
February 22nd
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Netherlands, Germany, China and USA.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy.
- Destination / weather: Lyngen fjord / Nordnesodden / haze / cloudy / snow.
- Aurora activity: 0/10.
- Aurora show: An five seconds Aurora only ...
- Tour km: 285.
- Tour hrs: 6,5.
We knew it should be an new tricky night ... but, it was little bit better than I thought in a short moment ...
So, when I checked the sky with my camera, an bright ribbons across the sky suddenly showed up, but before my guests was outside the bus, it was gone again ...
Then we drove to the old road end and had partly high clouds for a while, before it got too much overcast, and then it began to snow ...
When we returned to the city, then tonight`s best clear sky appear, but no Auroa then ... so I drove my guests to theirs accommodations ...
February 23rd - Private Aurora Chase Dinner
- Guests / Country: 7 guests from Germany.
- Weather Kvaløya Lodge: Cloudy / snowy.
- Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / part clear.
- Aurora activity: 6/10.
- Aurora show: All over, far south, curls, spikes and dancing curtains. Red color on camera.
- Tour km: 285.
- Tour hrs: 7,5.
I was thinking about to drive into Finnish Lapland, but when the sky was clear enough in the valley east of the Lyngen Alps, I decided to gamble little and hope the sky stayed clear long enough ...
So, we got an good one before I served the dinner, and then it got overcast, and just after the dessert the sky cleared up again and we got an new show ... very good timing clouds ;)
Then it came even an better show straight above us ... but, there it was too cloudy, so we only saw a part of it ...
But, my guests was happy for what they have got, the dinner, the setting and the atmosphere ... so, then I am happy too.
And, instead of being inside Finland in freezing cold temperatures, it was nice and warm and no wind in the forest in Skibotndalen valley ;)
February 24th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Germany, France, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, UK and USA.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / snow.
- Destination / weather: Keinovuopio, Swedish Lapland / clear.
- Aurora activity: 0/10.
- Aurora show: No eye visible activity, but couple of red spikes on camera.
- Tour km: 370.
- Tour hrs: 8,5.
Simple told: 100% clear sky, chilly 22 minus degrees, lovely new moon set, beautiful star sky and a Milky Way, but no Aurora ...
Ergo: Clear sky is not an guarantee for see and explore the Northern Lights ...
February 25th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from India, Germany, Switzerland and UK.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
- Destination / weather: Storfjord / Keinovuopio / Finnish border / part clear / haze.
- Aurora activity: 5/10.
- Aurora show: All over and far south, but faint. Spikes and curls, and little dancing. Two colors on the camera.
- Tour km: 370.
- Tour hrs: 9.
- Wildlife: 2 foxes, the first one visit us out on the chase and was very curious.
Tonight`s best Aurora show was probably from 4 to 9 pm, before the chase begin and while we was driving out under the cloudy sky ...
On the return, we stopped at the border and got the best show.
February 26th
- Guests / Country: 14 guests from Taiwan & China.
- Weather Tromsø: Cloudy / rain.
- Destination / weather: Skibotndalen valley / an cloud hole / haze / part clear.
- Aurora activity: 8/10.
- Aurora show: All over and far far south, spikes, curls and three colors dancing curtains, and a couple of coronas.
- Tour km: 245.
- Tour hrs: 8.
- Wildlife: One fox.
Little gambling, and a lot of patience for my guests make the night from an disaster to great success ;)
I was first planning to do season longest chase, about 250 km SE of Tromsø into Finnish Lapland ... but, that wasn`t long enough what I got info about later ... since two of Tromsø`s Aurora Guides was 300 km away for better sky ...
This was the 5th chase in row with too much bad weather, long drives and too much snow to remove home at my driveway, so I am ... and my body too, very happy that I choose to gamble, when we got an hole in clouds in Skibotn, and I choose to gamble little and stay there and wait ...
But, should we drive or stay put ?
It was very tricky ... since we got reports from south Sweden (!) about coronas was dancing sooooo far south ... on 60 degrees north ...
But, I knew it also will come back north and gives us a great show here, when the activity is so high ... as long we keep that hole we had on the SW sky ... and then we lost it ...
So, while 80% of my guests was sitting inside the bus ... either cold bodies or tired and have given up ... I was waiting outside with four of them, and gave them information about what was going on, and what we could see if we got clear sky again ...
After 20 mins it got little clear sky again ... and then more and more ... the best clear sky for the evening ... and then suddenly The Lady start to show what she is good for.
So, thank you so much, my dear guests, that you had patience enough, and understood what I was talking about; "that she will give us an great show as long we have at least partly clear sky".
Aurora News from spaceweather.com
GEOMAGNETIC STORM WARNING: Strong G3-class geomagnetic storms are possible on Feb. 27th and 28th when another CME could strike Earth's magnetic field--the second in as many days. The first CME, which arrivedduring the late hours of Feb. 26th, has already sparked multiple episodes of strong storming with widespread auroras in northern Europe and North America. A double blow could intensify the storm even more. Stay tuned.
It`s arrival brought a gust of solar wind blowing faster than 800 km/s (the highest value in years), and triggered a G3-class (Strong) geomagnetic storm.
