Forfjord
11
27 km from Sortland, about 30 min
Read first: safe aurora hunting
Tonight · hour by hour
Spot: Forfjord Scores updated (Norway time).
14-day chance forecast
- Sat 7: 47%, Below usual
- Sun 8: 65%, About usual
- Mon 9: 84%, Above usual
- Tue 10: 79%, Above usual
- Wed 11: 74%, About usual
- Thu 12: 74%, About usual
- Fri 13: 68%, About usual
- Sat 14: 69%, About usual
- Sun 15: 68%, About usual
- Mon 16: 77%, Above usual
- Tue 17: 85%, Above usual
- Wed 18: 84%, Above usual
- Thu 19: 71%, About usual
- Fri 20: 52%, Below usual
Spot: Forfjord Each number is the chance of seeing aurora at least once that night at this spot. It weighs the expected aurora activity, cloud, darkness, moonlight and light pollution.
Other regions:
Vesterålen at a glance
| Dark enough for aurora | about 29 August to 12 April |
|---|---|
| Polar night | about 3 December to 9 January |
| Clear evenings | About 1 evening in 6 is mostly clear. Of all 5-night stays, about half had at least one (by month). |
| Kp index | Kp 1 is often enough here |
| Nearest dark sky | Forfjord, 27 km from Sortland, about 30 min by car |
| Without a car | 2 of our 7 spots |
| Nearby regions | Harstad, Lofoten and Senja |
Vesterålen: aurora season and dark hours
The nights are dark enough for aurora from about 29 August to 12 April. They are fully dark, with the sun at least 18° below the horizon, from about 14 September to 28 March.
The midnight sun lasts from about 23 May to 21 July.
| Month | Dark hours per day | Fully dark hours per day | Mostly clear |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 6 h | 2.1 h | 14% |
| October | 11 h | 8.3 h | 17% |
| November | 14 h | 12 h | 17% |
| December | 16 h | 13 h | 22% |
| January | 15 h | 12 h | 26% |
| February | 12 h | 9.6 h | 21% |
| March | 7.9 h | 4.6 h | 21% |
| April | 1.4 h | 0 h | 21% |
The table leaves out months with under an hour of darkness a day. 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 the middle of Vesterålen. 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 Andøya, 2001–2015. Based on data from MET Norway.
Vesterålen: 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.
| Month | 3 nights | 5 nights | 7 nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| September | 25% | 40% | 55% |
| October | 35% | 50% | 55% |
| November | 35% | 50% | 60% |
| December | 40% | 55% | 70% |
| January | 45% | 60% | 65% |
| February | 35% | 50% | 60% |
| March | 35% | 45% | 55% |
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 Andøya, 2001–2015. 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.
Vesterålen: 7 viewing spots
The 2 spots you can get to without a car or a tour are Sortland centre and Andøya / Andenes.
Our darkest spot is Nyksund, 52 km from Sortland, about 1 h 5 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.
| Spot | From town | Sky | Without a car |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Sortland | |||
| Sortland centre | in town | town light | on foot, in town |
| Forfjord | 27 km, 30 min | very dark | no |
| Stokmarknes | 25 km, 35 min | some glow | no |
| Risøyhamn | 52 km, 1 h | dark | no |
| Nyksund | 52 km, 1 h 5 min | darkest | no |
| Parking is private and paid. The road closes for avalanche danger. | |||
| From Andenes | |||
| Andøya / Andenes | in town | some glow | on foot, in town |
| Fv 82 to Andenes has barriers that close the road in storms. | |||
| Bleik Beach | 11 km, 15 min | dark | no |
| If the small lay-by is full, drive on. Never park on the road. | |||
Distances and travel times are from Sortland or Andenes.
“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 Vesterålen
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 Sortland 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 Vesterålen?
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 Vesterålen?
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 23:30 Norway time (00:30 in summer time).
How many nights should you stay in Vesterålen to see the northern lights?
Plan 7 nights or more. In MET Norway's records, most 7-night stays had at least one mostly clear evening, in every month of the season. 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 Vesterålen?
The spots around Vesterålen lie at about 66.6° 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 Vesterålen?
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.
Can you see the northern lights in Sortland itself?
Yes, on stronger nights, though street lights hide fainter displays. Our town spot is Sortland centre. For fainter aurora, drive to one of our darker spots outside town.
Do you need a tour or a car in Vesterålen?
All our darker spots need a car or a guided tour. If you stay in Andenes, our spot there is a short walk away. See the spot table.
How far do you need to drive from Sortland?
The nearest spot with a dark sky is Forfjord, 27 km from Sortland, about 30 min by car. From Andenes, the nearest spot with a dark sky is Bleik Beach, 11 km away, about 15 min by car.
Where can you park to watch the northern lights around Vesterålen?
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 Bleik Beach and Forfjord, 2 of our spots around Vesterålen. Park only where parking is allowed.
Can you see the northern lights during the polar night in Vesterålen?
Yes, when the sky is clear. The sun stays below the horizon from about 3 December to 9 January, but around midday there are a few hours of twilight. On the shortest day, 21 December, it is dark enough for aurora in Sortland from about 16:10 to 07:50 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
The AuroraChaser app has more than 120 viewing spots, 7 of them around Vesterålen. Choose one and get an alert when it is worth going out. The app's map also shows where others report aurora tonight.
How the score works
AuroraChaser's aurora score is a number from 0 to 100 for one viewing spot and one hour. It combines how likely you are to see the northern lights with your own eyes and how bright they should be, so it is not a percentage.
What the score means
A faint aurora that you are sure to see scores about 60. A phone camera picks up fainter aurora than your eyes can see, so a photo can show aurora while the score is low.
80–100Excellent
You will very likely see aurora, and the display should be bright. Go out once it is dark enough for aurora.
60–79GoodYou will likely see aurora with your own eyes, though it may be faint. It is worth going out.
40–59ModerateYou have about an even chance or better, and the aurora is usually faint or between clouds.
20–39PoorThere is some chance, mostly of a faint glow.
0–19Very poorThere is little chance, because the aurora is quiet or the sky is cloudy or too light.
Forecast and live
Until the sky is dark enough for aurora (the sun 12° below the horizon), the score shows tonight's best hour, marked “Forecast”, unless the live score is already higher. After that, it shows the live score.
“Estimated” means the live aurora data or the weather forecast is missing, so part of the score rests on averages. Alerts pause until the data is back.
What it cannot know
The score cannot see a gap in the cloud right above you, fog in your valley or lights close by, such as a headlamp or a lit house. It also does not know your eyesight or how long your eyes have had to adjust to the dark.
Read more about how the score works.