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Rule Northern Lights

Sodankylä - Northern Lights - Finnish Lapland

Sodankylä, Lapland, Finland

Northern Lights photography conditions - combines aurora activity levels with clear skies and proper darkness for optimal viewing.

Currently

Real-time conditions
Aurora Quality
0%
Kp IndexKp 3 (Quiet)
Sun Elevation-28.0° (Astronomical night)
Cloud Cover97%

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Europe/Helsinki
Next opportunity
Excellent Chance of Aurora
Sodankylä
Fri, Feb 13 · 02:00–07:00 · 5h window
Low confidence
32%
🌌Aurora Quality80.8-95%
Kp Index: Kp 5 (Minor Storm)
Sun Elevation: -33.9° (Astronomical night)
Cloud Cover: 20%
starry-night weather icon
Good Chance of Aurora
Sodankylä
Sun, Feb 15 · 24:00–01:00
🌌Aurora Quality:77.9%
Medium
starry-night weather icon
Excellent Chance of Aurora
Sodankylä
Sun, Feb 15 · 01:00–07:00
🌌Aurora Quality:87-91.6%
Low
starry-night weather icon
Good Chance of Aurora at Sunrise
Sodankylä
Sun, Feb 15 · 07:00–08:00
🌌Aurora Quality:78.9%
Medium

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast answers the question every aurora photographer asks: "Can I actually see the aurora tonight?" Unlike simple Kp forecasts, we combine NOAA's OVATION aurora model with real-time cloud cover, visibility, and darkness data to predict true viewing conditions.

Finnish Lapland sits directly under the auroral oval, making it one of Earth's most reliable aurora viewing regions. These curated photography spots span from Rovaniemi at the Arctic Circle to Utsjoki at Finland's northernmost tip.

What makes Finnish Lapland special:

  • Dark sky reserves - Minimal light pollution across vast wilderness areas
  • Fell landscapes - Elevated viewpoints like Kaunispää offer 360° aurora visibility
  • Lake reflections - Inari and other large lakes create stunning mirror shots
  • Research heritage - Sodankylä hosts one of the world's oldest aurora research stations

Best conditions typically occur September through March. The fell regions often experience temperature inversions that trap clouds below, giving you clear skies when lowlands are overcast.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 72 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Europe/Helsinki
Aurora Quality
≥ 50.0%
Solar Elevation
≤ -8.0°
Aurora Activity
≥ 50.0%
Total Cloud Coverage
≤ 30.0%
Visibility
≥ 8000.0m
Sat, Feb 7
20:000%-23°42%97%527m
21:000%-28°42%97%352m
22:000%-32°42%100%347m
23:000%-36°81%95%789m
Sun, Feb 8
24:000%-37°81%99%2166m
01:000%-37°81%100%1747m
02:000%-36°100%100%1436m
03:000%-32°100%100%2329m
04:000%-28°100%100%1982m
05:000%-22°81%100%2177m
06:000%-16°81%100%2848m
07:000%-11°81%100%3081m
08:000%-5.3°70%100%4111m
09:000%0.02°70%100%5483m
10:000%3.6°70%97%6469m
11:000%6.2°70%89%7777m
12:000%7.6°70%69%13317m
13:000%7.6°70%86%24134m
14:000%6.1°10%100%24134m
15:000%3.4°10%100%24135m
16:000%-0.38°10%100%24134m
17:000%-5.6°70%100%17681m
18:000%-11°70%100%14743m
19:000%-17°70%100%16655m
20:000%-22°70%100%15842m
21:000%-28°70%100%14700m
22:000%-32°70%100%14309m
23:000%-35°81%100%14506m
Mon, Feb 9
24:000%-37°81%100%14679m
01:000%-37°81%100%14023m
02:000%-35°70%100%13315m
03:000%-32°70%100%16021m
04:000%-27°70%100%13618m
05:000%-22°20%100%14824m
06:000%-16°20%92%11163m
07:000%-10°20%100%9807m
08:000%-5°10%68%7725m
09:000%0.27°10%81%6750m
10:000%3.9°10%86%7076m
11:000%6.5°26%80%7278m
12:000%7.9°26%85%13584m
13:000%7.9°26%92%13673m
14:000%6.4°26%91%13815m
15:000%3.7°26%81%8225m
16:000%0.07°26%66%6546m
17:000%-5.3°70%69%6545m
18:000%-11°70%88%6544m
19:000%-16°70%96%6544m
20:000%-22°26%99%5990m
21:000%-27°26%100%930m
22:000%-32°26%100%410m
23:000%-35°81%100%268m
Tue, Feb 10
24:000%-37°81%100%302m
01:000%-37°81%100%340m
02:000%-35°26%100%342m
03:000%-31°26%82%4558m
04:000%-27°26%64%8773m
05:0020%-22°26%46%12989m
06:0030%-16°26%41%13498m
07:0028%-10°26%35%14008m
08:000%-4.7°26%30%14517m
09:000%0.53°26%36%13920m
10:000%4.2°26%43%13323m
11:000%6.9°26%49%12726m
12:000%8.3°26%63%11446m
13:000%8.2°26%77%10166m
14:000%6.7°26%91%8886m
15:000%4°26%94%9391m
16:000%0.33°26%96%9896m
17:000%-5°26%99%10401m
18:000%-10°26%100%9736m
19:000%-16°26%100%9071m
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

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