Tonight
Oct 28 - Oct 29
- 6 °C
27 percent cloud cover - 6 °C31 percent cloud cover
- 5 °C
38 percent cloud cover
Northern Lights Forecast for Umeå
Umeå, Sweden
63°49′32.9″N ⋅ 20°15′46.8″E
Aurora data last updated at
Current local time:
Can you see the Northern Lights in Umeå tonight?
Aurora activity is expected to be low between 20:00 and 02:00 in Umeå tonight. Sky will be dark from 17:20 to 05:23 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks partly cloudy at 25% to 35%. Even with clearer skies, low activity would likely make any aurora faint.
Can you see the Northern Lights in Umeå tonight?
Aurora activity is expected to be low between 20:00 and 02:00 in Umeå tonight. Sky will be dark from 17:20 to 05:23 local time. Cloud cover around that time looks partly cloudy at 25% to 35%. Even with clearer skies, low activity would likely make any aurora faint.
Aurora Forecast for Umeå
Today at 19:00
No activity
Cloud Cover:18%
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Aurora activity
High clouds
Middle clouds
Low clouds
Fog
Hourly aurora forecast for Umeå
| Local time | Aurora activity |
|---|---|
| No activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| Low Activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| No activity | |
| Low Activity |
3-Night Weather Forecast for Umeå
%22%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22currentColor%22%20d%3D%22M12.262%2045.52h29.086c7.43%200%2013.172-5.626%2013.172-12.82c0-7.29-6-12.75-13.946-12.68c-3-6.047-8.507-9.54-15-9.54c-8.648%200-15.937%206.82-16.617%2015.563c-4.547%201.242-7.477%205.063-7.477%209.68c0%205.812%204.36%209.797%2010.782%209.797%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E){kind=small}
Tomorrow night
Oct 29 - Oct 30
- 7 °C75 percent cloud cover
- 7 °C
96 percent cloud cover - 7 °C67 percent cloud cover
Friday night
Oct 30 - Oct 31
- 4 °C
10 percent cloud cover - 3 °C2 percent cloud cover
- 3 °C4 percent cloud cover
Sun & Moon
Sunset
Sunrise
Dark from 17:20 to 05:23 (12 h 3 min)
Current Moon
Waning Gibbous
91% illumination
Refresh to load today's sun path.
Long-Term Aurora Forecast for Umeå
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Today. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 92% illumination | Thursday, October 29, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 85% illumination | Friday, October 30, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning gibbous, 76% illumination | Saturday, October 31, 2026. Moderate aurora activity. Aurora score 4 out of 10. Last quarter, 65% illumination | Sunday, November 1, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 3 out of 10. Last quarter, 54% illumination | ||
Monday, November 2, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Last quarter, 43% illumination | Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Last quarter, 32% illumination | Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning crescent, 23% illumination | Thursday, November 5, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning crescent, 14% illumination | Friday, November 6, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waning crescent, 8% illumination | Saturday, November 7, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. New moon, 3% illumination | Sunday, November 8, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. New moon, 1% illumination |
Monday, November 9, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 2 out of 10. New moon, 0% illumination | Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. New moon, 2% illumination | Wednesday, November 11, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 5% illumination | Thursday, November 12, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 10% illumination | Friday, November 13, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 16% illumination | Saturday, November 14, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing crescent, 23% illumination | Sunday, November 15, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 32% illumination |
Monday, November 16, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. First quarter, 41% illumination | Tuesday, November 17, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 3 out of 10. First quarter, 50% illumination | Wednesday, November 18, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 3 out of 10. First quarter, 60% illumination | Thursday, November 19, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 70% illumination | Friday, November 20, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 79% illumination | Saturday, November 21, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 87% illumination | Sunday, November 22, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Waxing gibbous, 94% illumination |
Monday, November 23, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Full moon, 98% illumination | Tuesday, November 24, 2026. Low aurora activity. Aurora score 1 out of 10. Full moon, 100% illumination |
LowAurora ActivityHigh
Best Time to See the Northern Lights in Umeå
The aurora season in Umeå runs from mid-August to late April, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are in September and October, and again in February and March, when the aurora shows on some 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 Umeå, January at the top: how long it's dark, and the chance of aurora on a clear night.
Northern Lights in Umeå
Umeå is a university city of about 130,000 at 63.8°N, on the Ume River where it reaches the Gulf of Bothnia in northern Sweden. It does not need a geomagnetic storm. Moderate activity is enough for a band low in the northern sky from the edge of town, and a G1 minor storm, the lowest step on the NOAA scale, lifts it higher and puts color over the city itself.
Inland to the lakes, not out to sea
The open sea lies to the south and east of Umeå, so the coast does not give you a northern horizon. People head north and inland to the lakes instead:
- Nydalasjön, on the eastern edge of the city near the university, about 10 minutes by car from the center and also reachable by bus, bike or on foot. The lake runs about 3 km north to south, with a lit trail around it and ski tracks in winter. From the southern end you look north up the length of the ice.
- Bäcksjön, about 15 km north of the city, roughly 22 minutes by car, with rest spots along the shore that local aurora watchers use.
- Tavelsjön, about 20 km north-west and half an hour by car. In winter an ice track of about 9 km is cleared on the lake, and you can climb Tavelsjöberget on the west side for a view over the lake.
Umeå Aurora Hunters
Umeå Aurora Hunters, a Facebook group started by international students at Umeå University, is where local sightings get posted on active nights. Fredrik Larsson, the photographer who runs it, puts the usual window at roughly 9 pm to 1 am. Phone cameras in night mode pick up color the eye does not, so the sky over Nydalasjön can look gray to you while the photo comes out pink and green; the site’s guide to photographing the aurora with an iPhone covers the settings.
FAQ
Where do people in Umeå go to see the northern lights?
Three lakes. Nydalasjön, on the eastern edge of the city near the university, is the one you can reach by bus, bike or on foot. Bäcksjön, about 15 km north and 22 minutes by car, has rest spots along the shore. Tavelsjön, about 20 km north-west and half an hour away, has an ice track of about 9 km in winter and Tavelsjöberget to climb for a view over the lake.
Can you see the northern lights from Nydalasjön?
Yes, and it is the popular spot inside the city. The lake is on the eastern edge of Umeå near the university, about 10 minutes from the center by car and reachable by bus, bike or on foot. It runs about 3 km north to south, so from the southern shore you look north along the ice. The trail around the lake is lit, which helps getting there but not with fainter displays.
What time of night is the aurora usually visible in Umeå?
Local aurora photographer Fredrik Larsson, who runs the Umeå Aurora Hunters group, puts the usual window at roughly 9 pm to 1 am. Visit Umeå gives the season as September to April, and Larsson recommends August to October and March to April.
When is the best time to see the northern lights in Umeå?
The aurora season in Umeå runs from mid-August to late April, when the nights get dark. Your best chances are in September and October, and again in February and March, when the aurora shows on some clear nights. The longest nights, around 21 December, have about 15 hours of darkness.
Can you see the northern lights in Umeå in summer?
No. From late May to late July the nights in Umeå 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 Umeå?
In Umeå, you usually need at least Kp 3 to have a reasonable chance of seeing the northern lights. Lower Kp can still bring a faint aurora display low on the northern horizon, but it is less common.
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 below the usual Kp index threshold for Umeå, so seeing the aurora is unlikely.