galaxosCan you see the northern lights in Umeå? Yes, often. Umeå needs about Kp 1 on the 0 to 9 scale of solar activity for a glow low in the northern sky, and activity reached that on 340 of the last 365 nights. The best months are October to March, when the nights are darkest.
Aurora is possible tonight, low in the north, if the clouds break
Activity and darkness line up, but cloud comes and goes, 86% on average over the dark hours. The clearest spell is around 04:00 to 06:00.
As of 12:15 Umeå time. Updated every 15 minutes.
Umeå usually needs about Kp 1. Kp 1.7 is NOAA's forecast peak for tonight's dark hours here. Latest reading Kp 1.3 (06:00–09:00 UTC).
Kp is a 0 to 9 scale of how stirred up Earth's magnetic field is. The higher it goes, the further from the poles aurora reaches. More about Kp
Cloud comes and goes through the dark hours. The clearest spell is around 04:00 to 06:00. Right now it's 100%.
The number is the average over tonight's dark hours; the verdict is judged hour by hour, so one clear evening does not hide an overcast midnight. Even a strong aurora is invisible through solid cloud.
Dark until 06:02. Aurora is usually best around midnight.
Dark enough means the sun is well below the horizon, which is later than sunset. At high latitudes in summer it never gets there.
The ring where aurora appears sits north of Umeå tonight, but a bright display should rise above the northern horizon. Get away from town lights and find a spot with nothing blocking the view north.
Aurora appears in a ring around Earth's magnetic pole. The higher the Kp, the wider the ring grows. Inside it, aurora can show anywhere in the sky; outside it, you would see it low toward the north, if at all.
A guide, not a guarantee: aurora can beat the forecast or fall short of it, so don't plan a trip on this alone.
Kp is forecast to reach 1 on 3 of the next 3 nights, enough for aurora here.
| Day | From | Kp | Sky here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 13 | 10:00 | 1.7 | Daylight |
| Fri 13 | 13:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Fri 13 | 16:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Fri 13 | 19:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Fri 13 | 22:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Sat 14 | 01:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Sat 14 | 04:00 | 1.7 | Daylight |
| Sat 14 | 07:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sat 14 | 10:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sat 14 | 13:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sat 14 | 16:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sat 14 | 19:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Sat 14 | 22:00 | 1.3 | Night |
| Sun 15 | 01:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Sun 15 | 04:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sun 15 | 07:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sun 15 | 10:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sun 15 | 13:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sun 15 | 16:00 | 1.3 | Daylight |
| Sun 15 | 19:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Sun 15 | 22:00 | 1.7 | Night |
| Mon 16 | 01:00 | 3.3 | Night |
One email when activity is forecast to climb high enough for the aurora in Umeå. Nothing else.
From May to August the sky over Umeå never gets fully dark, so aurora season runs October to March, with about 14 hours of real darkness a night.
What is Kp? A number from 0 to 9 for how stormy space weather is. Most nights are 1 to 3. At 5 or more it's a storm, and the northern lights spread much further south. More about Kp
340of the last 365 nights
Kp reached 1 or more during the night hours in Umeå on 340 of the last 365 nights, about the level at which aurora comes into range here. The strongest night was January 19, 2026, when Kp reached 8.7. This counts activity, not sightings: cloud, moonlight and light summer nights decide how many of those nights anything could be seen.
| Month | Nights |
|---|---|
| Nov | 17 of 18 |
| Dec | 30 of 31 |
| Jan | 30 of 31 |
| Feb | 28 of 28 |
| Mar | 30 of 31 |
| Apr | 29 of 30 |
| May | 28 of 31 |
| Jun | 29 of 30 |
| Jul | 28 of 31 |
| Aug | 23 of 31 |
| Sep | 26 of 30 |
| Oct | 30 of 31 |
| Nov | 12 of 12 |
Kp index and forecast from NOAA SWPC. Cloud cover and sun times from Open-Meteo. Kp history from GFZ Potsdam (CC BY 4.0). Magnetic latitude is AACGM-v2, epoch 2026.