Northern lights in Alta

Tonight’s aurora forecast for Alta, where to watch, and when the sky is usually clear.

The night of Monday 2 November, Alta time (CET)

Worth heading out tonight

Best viewing window

23:00–23:30

Clouds may clear after 23:00.

Recommended: Suolovuopmi · 54 min drive

  • CloudClouds may clear by 23:00Average cloud cover 24% in the window
  • AuroraModerate activityKp 2 forecast at its highest
  • DarknessFully darkDark from 17:00
  • MoonFaint aurora may be harder to seeUp all window · 38% lit

Medium confidence · Forecast data up to date · What this means

Forecast details
  • Cloud forecast updated 16:31
  • Aurora forecast issued 13:30
  • Recalculated by Little Aurora 17:45
  • This page made 17:46

Alta time. The sources’ times say how fresh the forecast is; the page’s own time doesn’t. What these mean

Where to watch near Alta

Komsa

Hill

Tonight: wait for a clearer sky

Hill on the edge of Alta, half an hour's walk to its foot, listed among the best places in Alta to see the aurora.

Getting there
30 min walk from the centre
Darkness
Town glow: faint aurora is hard to see

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Lathari

Coast

Tonight: wait for a clearer sky

Beach 9 km outside Alta centre, listed among the best places in Alta to see the aurora.

Getting there
16 min drive
Darkness
Some glow: town glow on the horizon

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Suolovuopmi

Viewpoint

Tonight’s window: 23:00–23:30

Stop at the edge of the Finnmarksvidda plateau south of Alta, recommended as a drive for aurora watching.

Getting there
54 min drive
Darkness
Very dark: far from town lights
Good to know
The pin is at Suolovuopmi Fjellstue, a mountain lodge and café, not a public viewpoint; ask locally where to stop.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Times are typical, from the centre of Alta by road or path rather than in a straight line, and winter conditions can make them longer. Walking times don’t mean a route is lit or safe on foot in winter; check each spot’s notes.

Clear dark nights by month

  • 33% Jan
  • 31% Feb
  • 26% Mar
  • 23% Apr
  • – May
  • – Jun
  • – Jul
  • 18% Aug
  • 19% Sep
  • 23% Oct
  • 31% Nov
  • 33% Dec

The share of nights with at least two dark hours under 30% cloud cover, averaged by month over 2016–2025. It describes cloud, not aurora: a clear night still needs activity. A dash means no record for that month, usually because it doesn’t get dark. About this record

Questions

When is the best time to see the northern lights in Alta?

In the dark months. Over 2016–2025, a clear spell after dark was likeliest in January and December, on about 33% of nights. That record is about cloud only: on any one night, the cloud and the activity forecast matter more than the season, so check on the day.

Where can you see the northern lights near Alta?

This page lists 3 viewing spots near Alta; the darkest is Suolovuopmi (54 min drive). Each has how to get there, parking, winter access and safety notes. Little Aurora picks the best one each night from cloud and darkness.

Aurora data from NOAA and GFZ. Cloud forecasts from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Places and travel times from OpenStreetMap contributors. Usual cloud from Copernicus ERA5 and weather-station records from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, SMHI and the Icelandic Met Office. Forecasts are never guaranteed; conditions can change quickly. How the forecast works