

It's also a great time for a winter vacation. Peak viewing season is in the dead of winter, when the weather is the coldest and when it is the darkest. You can see the lights from August 21 to April 21. It's also a great basecamp for trips beyond the Arctic Circle. It's situated underneath the aurora oval, so viewing is great right from town. If you’re curious about the Northern Lights and want to see them for yourself, book a tour and prepare to go on a journey you will remember for the rest of your life.Fairbanks is arguably the most popular destination for visitors who want to see the Northern Lights. Regardless of your time and resources, it is possible for you to go on an Arctic vacation that will maximize your chances of witnessing auroras, some of the most beautiful sights that the planet has to offer. Planning the perfect Northern Lights trip is a tricky thing, requiring you to take location, time of year, time of day, cloud cover, and many other factors into account. If you stay in any Arctic location during the winter, early spring, or lateįall for at least several days, you are guaranteed to see an aurora at least Auroras occur with regularity in the Arctic, so Months are January through March, it is possible to witness auroras any timeīetween September and April, provided the location you are in has sufficientĭarkness and lacks cloud cover. Personal needs as to when you see the Northern Lights. Ultimately, you will need to make a decision based on your Viewing auroras difficult, which is why many tourists prefer to see them during However, extended amounts ofĭaylight during these times combined with shifting weather patterns may make On March 21 and September 21, respectively. The spring and fall equinoxes generally fall The periods when the Earth’s tilt is perfectly level and daylight is evenlyĭistributed throughout the world.

That their prevalence peaks around the September and March equinoxes. Will have to contend with and the smaller your chances of seeing the Northernįinally, one extenuating factor with the Northern Lights is Note that the later in the year you travel, the more daylight you This is part of why those months are considered ideal for aurora January through March, as the shift to winter completes and the weather settlesĭown. Places if your intent is to view auroras.Īs a general rule, skies tend to be clearer in the months of The shifting seasons, meaning that December is a poor month to visit these

Norway and Kiruna, Sweden have large amounts of cloud cover in December due to Many popular aurora viewing locations, such as Tromsø, Seen, you will not be able to witness them if you are in a location with Since auroras require clear skies in order to be Snowfall for snowmobiling, skiing, and other winter activities.Īnother factor to consider when picking a month to view the The long nights and the fact that most Arctic locations have sufficient January through March are seen as the best time to witness auroras due to both Solstice are more ideal due to decreased day lengths. To sufficient darkness in the night sky, months that are closer to the winter While auroras can be viewed between September and April due With more sunlight the further south one is. In general, Arctic residents canĮxpect anywhere from two to four hours of daylight during the winter months, Is completely dark, and even then only during the period immediately before andĪfter the winter solstice on December 21. Still receive some sunlight, as brief as it may be. Note that even during the winter, many places in the Arctic This makes the months of September through October prime aurora viewing season. Due to the Earth’s axial tilt, the Arctic experiences extreme shifts in daylight throughout the year, with nearly-constant daylight during the summer and near-total darkness in winter. This is because the light from the sun cancels out any aurora effects that might otherwise be visible in the sky only when it is dark out can auroras be visible to the naked eye. The Best Month to See the Northern LightsĪs a rule, the Northern Lights can only be seen in winter. Learn what the best month for viewing the Northern Lights is. However, there are a number of otherįactors that go into determining a prime viewing time for auroras. Of winter, late autumn, and early spring. Given the time and expense of traveling to theĪrctic, you might be wondering what the best month for seeing the NorthernĪs a rule, the Northern Lights can only be seen during the months Night sky dissolve into a panoply of brilliant colors, a sight that can only beĮxperienced in the Arctic. Every year, tourists from around the world head north to watch the Interaction with the Earth, is one of the most spectacular sights in the ArcticĬircle. The Northern Lights, a light show generated by the sun’s
