Northern lights in Tromsø 2026-27

Is 2026-27 a good winter for the northern lights in Tromsø?

Yes. The Sun has passed the peak of solar cycle 25, but the declining phase still produces strong geomagnetic storms, and Tromsø sees aurora even on quiet nights.

On 15 October 2024 NASA and NOAA announced that the Sun had reached its solar maximum period. They expected the maximum phase to last "another year or so before the Sun enters the declining phase", and added that "though less frequent, scientists often see fairly significant storms during the declining phase of the solar cycle."

NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center tracks the cycle on its solar cycle progression page and expects cycle 26 to begin between 2029 and 2032. In plain terms: fewer headline storms than in 2024, plenty of activity for a place this far north.

When is the northern lights season in Tromsø?

From late August to early April, whenever the sky is dark and clear. December and January have the most hours of darkness.

Tromsø sits under the auroral oval, so the lights can appear on any dark, clear night in that window (Visit Tromsø). What changes month to month is how many dark hours you get and whether there is snow for a sled.

Why does the weather matter more than the solar cycle?

Because the aurora happens above the clouds. Tromsø's coastal weather is often cloudy, while inland valleys and the Finnish border are drier.

The coast catches weather off the Norwegian Sea. On the same night it can be overcast in Tromsø and clear in Skibotn or across the border near Kilpisjärvi in Finland, a few hours' drive away. That is the whole business model of the aurora chase: a guide reads the cloud forecast and drives to the gap.

Check the cloud cover on yr.no and NOAA's 30-minute aurora forecast. A clear sky with modest activity beats a strong storm behind cloud every time.

Can you combine dog sledding with the northern lights?

Yes, two ways: an evening sled trip that runs after dark, or a daytime sled trip plus a separate aurora chase on another night.

The evening sledding trip meets at 13:45, lets you drive your own team in the dark and ends with dinner in a lavvo. If the sky opens, you are already out of town. If it does not, you still had a full sled trip. It costs $588 and is for ages 16 and up.

The other route is our favourite for flexibility: sled by day on Kvaløya, then book a northern lights chase for a different evening. The chase can follow the clear sky to Finland; a kennel cannot move. Skip the northern lights husky visit if you want to sled. It is a lovely evening with the dogs, but there is no sled ride. More in dog sledding and the northern lights.

Drive your own team after dark, eat in a lavvo and stay out under the sky. Northern lights portraits are shared within 48 hours.

★ 4.8 · About 10 hours · from $588

Explore the evening sledding trip → Tour details

What are the real odds of seeing the northern lights in Tromsø?

Good over several nights, uncertain on any single one. Nobody can guarantee them, and trips that promise a sighting should not be trusted.

The aurora is overhead most dark nights in some form. Seeing it depends on cloud, and the coast is often cloudy for days at a time. Plan three or four evenings in a row, keep one of them free for a chase, and put the sled trip in the daytime slot that is hardest to move.

Faint aurora looks grey-green to the eye and greener on a camera. When it is strong, you will not need the camera to tell.

Frequently asked questions