Northern Lights Forecast for Iceland
Aurora forecast for Iceland's volcanic landscapes. Track Northern Lights at Kirkjufell, Jökulsárlón, Þingvellir.
Upcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
No opportunities in the next 14 days
See the blocker timeline below to understand which conditions are preventing matches.
Iceland receives frequent auroral activity, but fast-moving Atlantic cloud makes local visibility more decisive than a country-wide Kp value. The forecast combines NOAA's OVATION model with darkness, cloud, and visibility to identify short photographable clearances.
Iceland offers aurora photography with landscapes found nowhere else on Earth - volcanic craters, glacier lagoons, black sand beaches, and waterfalls all under the northern lights.
What makes Iceland special:
- Volcanic landscapes - Lava fields, geothermal areas, and dramatic geology create otherworldly compositions
- Glacier lagoon - Jökulsárlón's floating icebergs reflect aurora in ways unique to Iceland
- Iconic foregrounds - Kirkjufell, Reynisdrangar sea stacks, and Skógafoss are bucket-list shots
- Ring Road access - Most spots accessible via paved roads, making aurora chasing practical
Aurora season runs September through March. Iceland's changeable weather means cloud gaps can open anywhere - our forecast helps you identify which locations have the best chance tonight.
Location status
0 of 12 locations currently active
Kirkjufell
InactiveKirkjufell’s isolated layered cone rises beside Grundarfjörður. Kirkjufellsfoss supplies flowing water and basalt ledges in the foreground, while the mountain remains separated from the surrounding peninsula.
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
InactiveJökulsárlón holds drifting blue and white ice beneath Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers. Changing ice shapes, reflections, dark moraine shores, and the narrow channel toward Diamond Beach continually alter the composition.
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)
Vík
InactiveVík’s black-sand coast faces the Reynisdrangar sea stacks beneath steep green or snow-streaked cliffs. Low Atlantic cloud frequently crosses the headlands and can separate individual stacks or erase the higher slopes.
Vik, South, Iceland
Right now: Visibility too low (136.0, ≥ 8000.0m)
Thingvellir
InactiveÞingvellir exposes rift walls, lava fields, clear fissure water, and the shore of Þingvallavatn. Long geological lines lead through the site, while birch and low vegetation introduce concentrated autumn colour.
Laugarvatn, South, Iceland
Right now: Visibility too low (108.0, ≥ 8000.0m)
Skógafoss
InactiveSkógafoss drops in a broad curtain from Iceland’s former sea cliffs. Persistent spray creates frequent rainbows in direct sun and coats the dark rock with stark ice detail during freezing weather.
Skógafoss, South, Iceland
Right now: Visibility too low (206.0, ≥ 8000.0m)
Mývatn
InactiveMývatn surrounds shallow water with pseudocraters, lava pillars, and distant volcanic ridges. Geothermal steam adds moving layers, while snow makes the dark volcanic forms especially graphic in winter.
Reykjahlíð, Northeast, Iceland
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)
Húsavík
InactiveHúsavík’s harbour faces Skjálfandi Bay and the snow-streaked Víknafjöll mountains. Fishing boats provide foreground scale, while whales occasionally break the otherwise broad and open seascape.
Norðurþing, Northeast, Iceland
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)
Akureyri
InactiveAkureyri’s waterfront and hillside streets sit deep within Eyjafjörður. Long enclosing mountain slopes compress the town against the water and retain pale snow streaks well into summer.
Akureyri, Northeast, Iceland
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)
Snaefellsnes
InactiveSnæfellsnes compresses a glacier-capped volcano, lava coast, basalt cliffs, and fishing villages into one narrow peninsula. Short distances produce abrupt changes from open sea horizons to isolated mountains and dark lava foregrounds.
Stykkisholmur, West, Iceland
Right now: Visibility too low (3km, ≥ 8000.0m)
Seydisfjordur
InactiveSeyðisfjörður’s colourful timber buildings line a narrow fjord enclosed by steep mountains. Waterfalls descend the valley walls, and sheltered water can mirror both the town and the enclosing slopes.
Seyðisfjörður, East, Iceland
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (72%, ≤ 30.0%)
Reykjavik
InactiveReykjavík combines the Sun Voyager, Harpa’s glass geometry, and dense rows of colourful roofs. Low coastal viewpoints open across Faxaflói Bay toward Esja and give the compact city a broad mountain horizon.
Reykjavik, Capital Region, Iceland
Right now: Total Cloud Coverage too high (100%, ≤ 30.0%)
Höfn
InactiveHöfn occupies a low harbour peninsula surrounded by tidal flats and fishing boats. Open water and wet sand lead toward Vatnajökull’s outlet glaciers and the sharply defined profile of Vestrahorn.
Hofn, East, Iceland
Right now: Solar Elevation too high (11°, ≤ -8.0°)
What's blocking opportunities
95-hour view of conditions preventing matches across 12 locations
How this forecast is made
Opportunities are threshold-based signals: PhotoWeather checks whether forecast conditions match the rules for a photography scenario. They are planning guidance, not guarantees. Forecasts can change as new model runs arrive, and confidence generally decreases farther into the forecast horizon, so recheck conditions before travelling.
The weather forecast foundation comes through Open-Meteo , which aggregates models from weather agencies. PhotoWeather applies condition-specific thresholds and derived calculations; not every condition uses every model or data input.
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