Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 1 °C
87 percent cloud cover - -2 °C
99 percent cloud cover - -1 °C100 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Akureyri
Akureyri, Iceland
65°41′18.6″N ⋅ 18°7′34.3″W
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Akureyri tonight?
Aurora activity is expected to be moderate between 20:00 and 05:00 in Akureyri tonight. Sky will be dark from 18:55 to 06:58 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at 85% to 100%. There may be good aurora activity overhead, but thick cloud could block the view.
Can you see the Northern Lights in Akureyri tonight?
Aurora activity is expected to be moderate between 20:00 and 05:00 in Akureyri tonight. Sky will be dark from 18:55 to 06:58 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks overcast at 85% to 100%. There may be good aurora activity overhead, but thick cloud could block the view.
Aurora Forecast for Akureyri
Today at 17:00
Low Activity
Cloud Cover:52%
Aurora activity
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Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Akureyri
| Local time | Aurora activity |
|---|---|
| Low Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Moderate Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity |
3-Night Weather Forecast for Akureyri
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Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 6 °C
40 percent cloud cover - 4 °C
100 percent cloud cover - 4 °C100 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- -1 °C
25 percent cloud cover - -2 °C34 percent cloud cover
- -1 °C79 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 18:55 to 06:58 (12 h 3 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
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Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Akureyri
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 8 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. High aurora activity. Aurora score 7 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 6 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
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Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Akureyri
The aurora season in Akureyri runs from mid-August to late April, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are from September to November, and again from January to March, when the aurora shows on most clear nights.
- Dark hours
- Chance of aurora
Long-term averages for clear nights, since 1985. Geomagnetic data: GFZ, CC BY 4.0
Every night of 2026 in Akureyri, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Akureyri
Akureyri is the main town of North Iceland, home to about 20,000 people on the west shore at the head of Eyjafjörður. The fjord is 60 km long and runs north from the town to the open sea, with the tall Tröllaskagi mountains along its west side. That makes the view north, down the fjord and over the water, the one to look for. On strong nights the harbor walkway in town gives open views across the fjord.
Krossanesborgir, Hlíðarfjall and the Forest Lagoon
For fainter displays, darker ground is a few minutes’ drive from the center.
- Krossanesborgir: a nature reserve about 3.5 km north of the center, beside the fjord, with a clear horizon to the north over the water.
- Gásir: the site of a medieval trading post about 11 km north of town, with little light around it.
- Hlíðarfjall: the ski area about 6 km west, starting at 500 m, looks down over the town and the fjord. The slopes are floodlit for night skiing in season, so it gets darker once skiing ends for the day.
- Forest Lagoon: geothermal baths in the Vaðlaskógur woods on the opposite shore, about 5 minutes’ drive from the center and open until late in the evening, looking back across Eyjafjörður toward the town.
Cloud over Eyjafjörður, clearer skies at Mývatn
Akureyri gets much less rain and snow than the south coast, roughly a quarter of what falls on Vík, but it is not a clear-sky town. In long-term Icelandic Met Office records it averages more cloud in the aurora season than Reykjavík. The area around Mývatn, about 90 km east, is less cloudy on average, so that is the usual direction to try when the fjord is overcast. The Vaðlaheiðargöng toll tunnel, east of town, shortens the drive toward Mývatn and Húsavík.
Öxnadalsheiði and the flight from Reykjavík
Akureyri Airport is 3 km south of the center, and Icelandair flies from Reykjavík several times a day. By road it is about 390 km from Reykjavík on the Ring Road. West of town the road crosses Öxnadalsheiði, a high, snowy pass that closes in winter storms, and road.is shows whether it is open before you commit to the drive.
FAQ
Can you see the northern lights in Akureyri town?
Yes, on strong nights, from the harbor walkway with its open view across Eyjafjörður. The town lights wash out fainter displays, so for those drive about 3.5 km north to the Krossanesborgir nature reserve, which faces the fjord, or up the road toward the Hlíðarfjall ski area, about 6 km west of town.
Should I stay in Akureyri or at Mývatn for the northern lights?
It depends on what you need. Akureyri has the airport, flights from Reykjavík several times a day and far more places to stay and eat. Mývatn, about 90 km east, has much less artificial light and, in long-term Icelandic Met Office records, less cloud on average than the fjord. Staying in Akureyri and driving east on nights when Eyjafjörður is overcast is one way to have both.
Do Akureyri's lights spoil the northern lights at the Forest Lagoon?
Somewhat. The Forest Lagoon is in the Vaðlaskógur woods on the east shore of Eyjafjörður, about 5 minutes' drive from the center, and its pools look across the fjord at the lights of Akureyri. Weak displays are harder to see from there than from somewhere fully dark, but a strong one on a clear night shows well over the water, and the baths stay open until late in the evening.
How do you get from Reykjavík to Akureyri in winter?
Fly or drive. Icelandair flies from Reykjavík several times a day, and Akureyri Airport is 3 km from the center. The drive is about 390 km on the Ring Road, and winter storms can close parts of it, including the high pass at Öxnadalsheiði just west of Akureyri. If you drive, use a car with winter tires and leave yourself a spare day.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Akureyri?
The aurora season in Akureyri runs from mid-August to late April, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are from September to November, and again from January to March, when the aurora shows on most clear nights. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 15 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Akureyri in summer?
No. From mid-May to late July the nights in Akureyri stay light. The aurora is still there, but the sky is too bright to see it.
What Kp index do I need to see the northern lights in Akureyri?
In Akureyri, even quiet geomagnetic conditions can be enough for aurora overhead.
This is based on magnetic latitude, and Kp index is a global geomagnetic index, so treat it as a rule of thumb, not a location-specific guarantee.
Tonight, the NOAA Kp index forecast is 1.3 to 1.7. That is above the usual Kp index threshold for Akureyri, so you have a chance of seeing the aurora if the sky is clear.