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Northern lights in Rovaniemi

Current conditions for Rovaniemi, the latitude maths behind them and where to stand.

Kp index now

1.67Quiet

NOAA estimate at 23:31 UTC

Aurora chance in Rovaniemi

5%

NOAA OVATION for 00:23 UTC

Cloud cover

0%Mostly clear

MET Norway, around 02:34 local time

Sky

Dark enough

Sun at -30° over Rovaniemi

The oval reaches Rovaniemi from about Kp 2.

Next 36 hours in Rovaniemi

  1. Sat 17 Oct, 02:00: Dark, clear, Kp high enough
  2. Sat 17 Oct, 03:00: Dark, clear, Kp high enough
  3. Sat 17 Oct, 04:00: Dark, clear, Kp high enough
  4. Sat 17 Oct, 05:00: Dark, clear, Kp high enough
  5. Sat 17 Oct, 06:00: Too light
  6. Sat 17 Oct, 07:00: Too light
  7. Sat 17 Oct, 08:00: Too light
  8. Sat 17 Oct, 09:00: Too light
  9. Sat 17 Oct, 10:00: Too light
  10. Sat 17 Oct, 11:00: Too light
  11. Sat 17 Oct, 12:00: Too light
  12. Sat 17 Oct, 13:00: Too light
  13. Sat 17 Oct, 14:00: Too light
  14. Sat 17 Oct, 15:00: Too light
  15. Sat 17 Oct, 16:00: Too light
  16. Sat 17 Oct, 17:00: Too light
  17. Sat 17 Oct, 18:00: Too light
  18. Sat 17 Oct, 19:00: Too light
  19. Sat 17 Oct, 20:00: Dark but cloudy
  20. Sat 17 Oct, 21:00: Dark but cloudy
  21. Sat 17 Oct, 22:00: Dark but cloudy
  22. Sat 17 Oct, 23:00: Dark, clear, Kp high enough
  23. Sun 18 Oct, 00:00: Dark and clear, Kp too low
  24. Sun 18 Oct, 01:00: Dark and clear, Kp too low
  25. Sun 18 Oct, 02:00: Dark and clear, Kp too low
  26. Sun 18 Oct, 03:00: Dark and clear, Kp too low
  27. Sun 18 Oct, 04:00: Dark and clear, Kp too low
  28. Sun 18 Oct, 05:00: Dark and clear, Kp too low
  29. Sun 18 Oct, 06:00: Too light
  30. Sun 18 Oct, 07:00: Too light
  31. Sun 18 Oct, 08:00: Too light
  32. Sun 18 Oct, 09:00: Too light
  33. Sun 18 Oct, 10:00: Too light
  34. Sun 18 Oct, 11:00: Too light
  35. Sun 18 Oct, 12:00: Too light
  36. Sun 18 Oct, 13:00: Too light
  • Dark, clear, Kp high enough
  • Dark and clear, Kp too low
  • Dark but cloudy
  • Too light
  • No forecast

Best stretch: Sat 17 Oct, 02:00 to 06:00, 4 h.

Hours are local time in Rovaniemi.

Rule of thumb: sun below −12°, cloud cover at or under 40 % and forecast Kp of 2 or more.

Kp: last day and 3-day forecast

035792026-10-15 21:00 UTC · Kp 2.332026-10-16 00:00 UTC · Kp 3.33Fri 162026-10-16 03:00 UTC · Kp 22026-10-16 06:00 UTC · Kp 1.672026-10-16 09:00 UTC · Kp 2.332026-10-16 12:00 UTC · Kp 1.672026-10-16 15:00 UTC · Kp 3.332026-10-16 18:00 UTC · Kp 3.672026-10-16 21:00 UTC · Kp 2.672026-10-17 00:00 UTC · Kp 4Sat 172026-10-17 03:00 UTC · Kp 3.332026-10-17 06:00 UTC · Kp 22026-10-17 09:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-17 12:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-17 15:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-17 18:00 UTC · Kp 22026-10-17 21:00 UTC · Kp 1.672026-10-18 00:00 UTC · Kp 1.67Sun 182026-10-18 03:00 UTC · Kp 1.672026-10-18 06:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-18 09:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-18 12:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-18 15:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-18 18:00 UTC · Kp 1.332026-10-18 21:00 UTC · Kp 1.672026-10-19 00:00 UTC · Kp 1.67Mon 19G1 storm (Kp 5)Kp needed in Rovaniemi
  • Observed or estimated
  • NOAA forecast
  • Kp needed in Rovaniemi
  • G1 storm (Kp 5)

Highest forecast Kp in the next 3 days: 4.0

Days in UTC

Data fetched 2026-10-16 23:34 UTC. NOAA SWPC for Kp and OVATION, MET Norway for clouds.

Rovaniemi in numbers

Country
Finland
Latitude
66.5° N
Geomagnetic latitude (approx.)
63.7° N
Oval reaches the place from
Kp 2
Arctic Circle
7 km south of it
Time zone
Europe/Helsinki
OVATION chance now
5%

Hours of darkness through the year

Hours with the sun below −12° on the 15th of each month, calculated for Rovaniemi. Aurora needs a dark sky; this is the limit before any cloud or Kp.

Hours of darkness through the year
Month Dark hours
January 14.6
February 12.0
March 8.7
April 3.1
May None
June None
July None
August None
September 6.5
October 10.5
November 13.6
December 15.3

Rovaniemi is the capital of Finnish Lapland, a city of about 66,000 people in the northern interior. The city centre is about 6 km south of the Arctic Circle, at the meeting of the Kemijoki and Ounasjoki rivers, between the hills of Ounasvaara and Korkalovaara.

It has the lowest geomagnetic latitude of the six places, so it needs more activity than the others for the oval to reach it. That is not a reason to skip it: the interior climate can give clearer winter skies than the coast, and the city is easy to reach by air and rail.

Where to watch

  • Ounasvaara is a wooded hill rising above the city with a recreation area. It gets you out of the street lights within minutes, though the city glow is still visible to the south.
  • The river valleys north of the centre, along the Ounasjoki, give a dark northern horizon a short drive from the city. Pick a spot with a parking area and a clear view across a frozen river or open field.
  • Santa Claus Village, a few kilometres north of the centre near the Arctic Circle, is busy and lit. It is fun for a photograph and a poor place to watch the sky.

Getting there and getting around

Rovaniemi Airport has scheduled flights from Helsinki and several European cities, and overnight trains from Helsinki arrive at the city. Taxis and local buses cover the centre; for dark sites you need a car, a tour or a taxi arranged for the return trip.

Why Rovaniemi needs more Kp

The geomagnetic pole sits on the Canadian side of the Arctic, so Finland is further from it than a map suggests. The facts table shows that Rovaniemi has the lowest geomagnetic latitude of the six places, and therefore the highest Kp threshold. On quiet nights the hourly strip will show dark, clear hours as "Dark and clear, Kp too low". Those are not wasted evenings: Kp is a three-hour average and a short burst at the right moment can lift aurora over the horizon.

Local conditions

Inland winters are colder than on the coast. Snow, frozen rivers and open fields reflect starlight, so you rarely need a torch once your eyes have adjusted. Dress for standing still: an hour of waiting in the cold feels colder than a walk.

Sources

Other destinations

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