Northern lights in Tromsø tonight

Tromsø at a glance

Tromsø: aurora season and dark hours

The nights are dark enough for aurora from about 1 September to 10 April. They are fully dark, with the sun at least 18° below the horizon, from about 17 September to 25 March.

The midnight sun lasts from about 19 May to 25 July.

Dark hours are the hours a day when the sun is at least 12° below the horizon, dark enough for aurora. In fully dark hours the sun is at least 18° below the horizon. Both are averages over every day of the month, worked out for Tromsø. Dates shift by about a day from year to year. You can download these figures as open data from our data sources page.

Mostly clear is the share of night-time observations (19:00–04:00) with cloud covering a quarter of the sky or less, in MET Norway's records for Tromsø, 2001–2020. Based on data from MET Norway.

Tromsø: clear evenings on stays of 3 to 7 nights

How often a stay had at least one mostly clear evening, by the month it starts.

An evening counts as mostly clear when cloud covers a quarter of the sky or less at the 19:00 observation (20:00 in summer time), in MET Norway's records for Tromsø, 2001–2020. Cloudy weather often lasts for days, so we checked each stay night by night. The figures are rounded to the nearest 5%. They describe cloud only and say nothing about aurora. Based on data from MET Norway.

Tromsø: 20 viewing spots

The 4 spots you can get to without a car or a tour are Tromsø centre, Telegrafbukta Beach, Tromsø Airport and Prestvannet.

Northern lights in Tromsø without a car has the buses, the stops and the last bus back.

Our darkest spot is Helligskogen, 154 km from Tromsø, about 2 h 35 min by car.

Outside the towns, most of our spots have public parking that we checked for winter access, using Statens vegvesen's records where they exist. Some have a fee, need a booking or a ferry, or are on a road that can close in winter. The note under each spot says which.

Distances and travel times are from Tromsø.

“Without a car” says whether you can get there and back in the evening by bus, train or on foot, with at least an hour at the spot. Where it gives a time, leave the spot by then for the last bus back. On 14 October 2026 we checked Entur's winter timetables for a weekday and a Saturday. Bus times are planned times from Entur and change. Check entur.no before you go.

Drive times are estimates at about 80% of the speed limit, rounded up to 5 minutes. Allow more time in bad weather, and check the road conditions before you go.

All 128 viewing spots in Northern Norway and Svalbard

Do you live near one of our spots? If it causes trouble for you or on the road, write to us at hello@aurorachaser.app and we will remove it.

Road cameras around Tromsø

Statens vegvesen's road cameras update every 5 minutes. Check the road and the weather before you set off.

Questions

What does the score mean?

Each spot gets a score from 0 to 100 for every hour. 60 or more is worth going out. Until it is dark enough for aurora, the page shows tonight's best hour, marked “Forecast”. “Our pick” is the spot with the highest score, or one that is quicker to reach from Tromsø when its score is within 5 points. When the highest score is below 25, that margin is a fifth of it. Within that margin, a town's dark spots you drive to come before its centre and airport.

Read more about how the score works.

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Tromsø?

In MET Norway's records, January had the clearest skies. Aurora activity tends to be higher around the equinoxes, in late September and March. See the monthly table.

What time of night can you see the northern lights in Tromsø?

Any time it is dark enough for aurora, from evening to early morning, but most often in the hours around midnight. If aurora activity stays the same all night, our score model gives the highest chance of seeing aurora here at about 23:15 Norway time (00:15 in summer time).

How many nights should you stay in Tromsø to see the northern lights?

Plan 5 nights or more. In MET Norway's records, most 5-night stays that started between October and February had at least one mostly clear evening. Aurora must also be active, so no number of nights makes a sighting certain. See the table of stays.

What Kp index do you need in Tromsø?

The spots around Tromsø lie at about 67.2° geomagnetic latitude, close to the auroral oval. Aurora is often visible here at Kp 1. On most nights, cloud and darkness matter more than Kp.

Is 2026–2027 still a good season for the northern lights in Tromsø?

Yes. The sun's 11-year cycle peaked in 2024–2025, and the Met Office says the years after a peak can often bring strong geomagnetic storms too. At these latitudes the aurora does not need a storm, so the solar cycle matters less here than further south.

Can you see the northern lights further south during a storm?

Usually not. Only a strong geomagnetic storm brings it into view from places like the UK, Ireland or the northern US, and then usually low over the northern horizon.

Our guide for the UK

Can you see the northern lights in Tromsø itself?

Yes, on stronger nights, though street lights hide fainter displays. Our spots in or near town are Tromsø centre, Telegrafbukta Beach, Tromsø Airport and Prestvannet. For fainter aurora, drive to one of our darker spots outside town.

Do you need a tour or a car in Tromsø?

All our darker spots need a car or a guided tour.

Northern lights in Tromsø without a car has the buses, the stops and the last bus back.

How far do you need to drive from Tromsø?

The nearest spot with a dark sky is Finnvikdalen, 15 km from Tromsø, about 25 min by car.

Where can you park to watch the northern lights around Tromsø?

In a car park, a rest area or a lay-by meant for parking. Never stop along the road, in a passing place or at a bus stop. Statens vegvesen's records show public parking open in winter at 7 of our spots around Tromsø, among them Finnvikdalen and Nakkevatnet. Park only where parking is allowed.

Can you see the northern lights during the polar night in Tromsø?

Yes, when the sky is clear. The sun stays below the horizon from about 28 November to 14 January, but around midday there are a few hours of twilight. On the shortest day, 21 December, it is dark enough for aurora in Tromsø from about 15:45 to 07:45 Norway time. Polar night dates for 23 towns.

Does the moon matter?

A bright moon hides faint aurora but barely dims a strong display.

How far ahead does the forecast go?

Tonight's forecast is hour by hour. For each of the next 14 nights, AuroraChaser gives your chance of seeing aurora at least once if you look during the dark hours. Any outlook further ahead is only a rough guide to aurora activity.

Last updated: 5 November 2026