Best time to see the northern lights
In Levi, the northern lights season lasts about 7 months. As soon as the evenings starts to get darker after the midnight sun in the summer, the northern lights appear again. The aurora borealis can be seen between mid-August to mid-April, the best time usually being from September to March.
Autumn
In the autumn months you can enjoy warmer temperatures compared to winter when waiting for the aurora borealis to show up. There is also plenty to do during the days, since you can enjoy activities such as hiking, mountain biking or Bike Park routes, fishing and awesome sunsets.Skiing and cross-country skiing season will also kick off in Levi as early as the 6th of October 2023.
Winter
From mid-December to April you can expect snow and colder weather, so remember to dress warm when heading outside to look for the northern lights. During this time you can also participate in a range of other winter activities such as dog sledding, snowmobile safaris, snowshoe tours, cross country skiing and alpine skiing. There are also several guided tours in Levi for those who wish to see the northern lights. You’ll find northern lights excursions with snowshoes, on horseback, on a sleigh ride with dogs or reindeer, a snowcat, snowmobile and a car, so there are plenty of options to choose from!
What is the best time of the day to see the northern lights?
It is possible to see the northern lights from the time it gets dark. Statistically the best chances are between 9 pm and 1 am at night. However we recommend you to keep an eye out for the northern lights anytime after dark.
Local tips for finding a good northern lights spot:
- Find a place with an open sky towards the north. The northern lights often cross the sky east to west.
- Patience is a virtue.
- Find a spot with as little light pollution as possible. This should be easy to find in our region, for example Immeljärvi and Levijärvi lakes are good spots.
- Check the weather forecast to find a place with clear skies and check the northern nights forecast at https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/auroras-and-space-weather
- If clouds are hanging low by the tree line, you can try to go to the top of Levi or Kätkä fell where you might be above the clouds.
