Northern lights in Kiruna

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

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

Worth heading out tonight

Best viewing window

17:00–19:00

Clear skies expected.

Recommended: Jukkasjärvi · 16 min drive

  • CloudClearAverage cloud cover 5% in the window
  • AuroraModerate activityKp 2 forecast at its highest
  • DarknessSome twilightDark from 17:00
  • MoonNo moonlightBelow the horizon

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 17:48

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

Where to watch near Kiruna

Jukkasjärvi

Viewpoint

Tonight’s window: 17:00–19:00

Village on the Torne River about 18 km from Kiruna, named with the river valley among the area's aurora places.

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

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Luossavaara

Hill

Tonight’s window: 17:00–18:30

Kiruna's city mountain; the tourist board says walk a little past the hill and car park for the best view.

Getting there
9 min drive
Darkness
Some glow: town glow on the horizon
Parking
Free gravel car park at the Luossabacken ski slope; walk a little beyond it for the best view.

Directions in Maps · Public sources, not yet visited

Times are typical, from the centre of Kiruna 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

  • 32% Jan
  • 33% Feb
  • 39% Mar
  • 32% Apr
  • – May
  • – Jun
  • – Jul
  • 29% Aug
  • 29% Sep
  • 32% Oct
  • 34% Nov
  • 33% Dec

The share of nights with at least two dark hours under 30% cloud cover, averaged by month over 1996–2025. 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 Kiruna?

In the dark months. Over 1996–2025, a clear spell after dark was likeliest in March and November, on about 39% 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 Kiruna?

This page lists 2 viewing spots near Kiruna; the darkest is Jukkasjärvi (16 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