What is the best month to see the Aurora in Finland?

The Northern Lights can actually be viewed on clear nights in the Arctic all year round, but will appear more frequently in the night sky in winter. Two essential elements for viewing the aurora are clear, cloudless weather and an active aurora index. On a clear night when the temperature is minus 30 or even 40 degrees, the probability of auroras appearing will be much higher than during warm times. The chance of the Northern Lights being active in Finnish Lapland is very high, about 75%. The aurora index is relatively active from late November to early February every year, which is a good time to consider traveling.

There is a prediction website for the global aurora activity index. The prediction website is here: http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/NorthPolar. The aurora index is visible to the naked eye when it is higher than 2-3.

However, in addition to the active auroral index, the thickness of clouds in the sky is often a more important factor in Lapland. When I visited the North Pole between the end of January and the beginning of February, the aurora index was very high every day, but only one of the four nights I stayed there was clear and cloudless, and that was the night I saw the aurora. Therefore, it is recommended to stay a little longer, about 4-7 days. After all, weather factors are very uncontrollable.

It should also be mentioned that the lower the light pollution when observing auroras, the better. Therefore, sparsely populated mountains, rivers, tundra, etc. are also good viewing and photography spots.

Regarding travel areas: Except for aurora outbreaks, there is basically a higher chance of seeing auroras in the Arctic Circle, that is, along and north of Rovaniemi. The location where I observed the aurora was in the northern Finnish town of Salisalka. It is not only a good place for aurora observation, but also a paradise for ski enthusiasts. Many people in Finland also go here for vacation in winter. It must be mentioned that Salisalka has the Kakslauttanen Glass Dome Hotel, which ranks among the top ten most beautiful hotels in the world - you can watch the aurora and the stars without blind spots while lying on the bed, which is a very unforgettable experience. The hotel price is about 400 euros a night, but because it is so popular, you need to book it several months in advance, and you are not allowed to stay more than two nights in a row.

The picture below shows the Kakslauttanen Glass Dome Hotel

The snow cabin in Salisalka