About This Forecast
Northern Lights Forecast Norway provides real-time aurora borealis predictions for 52 cities across Norway. Our goal is to help tourists and locals alike find the best time and place to see the northern lights.
How It Works
We combine three data sources to create an accurate, real-time picture of aurora visibility across Norway:
NOAA OVATION Aurora Forecast
The primary model. NOAA's OVATION (Oval Variation, Assessment, Tracking, Intensity, and Online Nowcasting) model provides a 0-100% aurora probability grid updated every 30 minutes. This powers our city-by-city activity percentages.
Kp Index (Planetary K-index)
A measure of global geomagnetic activity on a 0-9 scale. Higher Kp means stronger aurora and visibility further south. We fetch real-time Kp data from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
Norwegian Weather Data
Cloud cover is critical for aurora viewing. We fetch live weather forecasts from Yr (Norwegian Meteorological Institute / NRK) for the top aurora cities, so you know if skies will be clear enough.
Understanding the Numbers
Activity (NOAA): The raw probability of aurora overhead at that location, from the OVATION model. This doesn't account for weather or darkness.
Visible now: Our estimate combining activity probability, current darkness in Norway, and cloud cover. This is a more practical number for "should I go outside right now?"
When to See Northern Lights in Norway
The aurora season in Norway runs from September to March. The best months are typically October-February when nights are longest. You need darkness (after 21:00 and before 05:00 local time), clear skies, and geomagnetic activity (Kp 2+ for Northern Norway, Kp 5+ for Southern Norway).
Best Locations
Northern Norway (Troms and Finnmark) offers the best chances, with cities like Tromsø, Alta, and Hammerfest sitting directly under the auroral oval. However, during strong geomagnetic storms (Kp 5+), aurora can be visible as far south as Bergen, Oslo, and even Kristiansand.