Aurora Borealis Activity and Weather in Arctic Norway
GuideGunnar's best tip for seeing the magical aurora borealis is to join a guide who will take you to where the best weather conditions are.
For me, the most important thing is that my guests have the absolutely best possibility to experience what they have come to Norway for: to see the aurora borealis dance across the night skies.
GuideGunnar tours run in a luxurious, warm, and spacious mini bus (17 seats) that shows guests an on-screen introduction to the Northern Lights while we are en route. Sometimes we have to drive further afield, and if we have to stay out longer because of that, you won't be charged extra.
Northern Lights Finding Rate with GuideGunnar is in the High 90's
GuideGunnar logs all of his Aurora Chase tours.
You can see all the facts about them in GuideGunnar's old Aurora Blog (2012-18) and the NEW Aurora Blog, begun in December 2018!
GuideGunnar's finding rate for clear sky and Northern lights was 97.5% in the winter of 2019 and 97% in the fall.
Links for Weather Forecasts and Facts about Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights!
- What's Northern Lights...? Please enjoy this movie!
- The Northern Lights - Where, when and what (source: Tromsø University, UiT)
- Follow the Real-Time Aurora Activity
- Real Time Solar Wind
- Space Weather Prediction Center
- Northern Lights - 30 minutes forecast
- SpaceWeather
- Weather Tromsø - YR
- Weather Tromsø - Storm
- Weather statistics for Tromsø
- GuideGunnar's Aurora Blog 2012 - 2018
- GuideGunnar's Aurora Blog Dec 2018 - today ...
Which Month is the best for Seeing the Northern Lights?
Nobody can really tell, since it depends on what is happening on the sun, how fast the solar storm speeds are, and what the weather is like while you're here.
Please check all my aurora pictures and decide for youself:
August ? September ? October ? November ? December ? January ? February ? March ? April?
About Weather, Darkness, and when you can see the Northern Lights
Please read more about these topics in this PDF >>
The Polar Night
If you are wondering what the polar night is, here is an example: In Tromsø, the sun set for the polar night at 12:02 p.m. on November 26th, 2017, and did not return until 11:25 a.m. for a brief hour on January 15th, 2018. The period between that sunset and sunrise is the polar night. Read the story of the polar night, a time of color, from the Northern Norway Tourist Board.
Daylight 24/7 and the Midnight Sun
From mid-April to mid-August, we have daylight 24/7 up here in the Arctic. This is why you can't see the Northern Lights during this period - the sky is too bright. From mid-May to mid-July we have the Midnight Sun. During this time, the sun never sets...
Please stay warm! Clothing and Gear for the Arctic Environment
GuideGunnar have warm suits and good winter boots available. Please ask if you need. On Private Chases and Arctic Excursions it`s available for all guests.
Temperatures in Northern Norway are well below the freezing point in the winter, and they can reach -20 degrees Celcius (-4 Fahrenheit) and colder inland. It's imperative that you prepare well, find the right clothing, and follow your guide's instructions when out in the cold.
Please read "little about clothing" to prepare your clothing for the Arctic environment >>