Northern lights in Kiruna in January

Possible, with patience — 29% of January nights offer a window.

The numbers behind it: January nights in Kiruna average about 12 dark hours, geomagnetic activity reaches local viewing levels on 79% of days, and 37% of nights offer at least one reasonably clear hour after dark.

Neither clouds nor solar activity dominates — January failures are usually bad single-night luck. Several nights in a row is the honest insurance policy.

Numbers come from 1996–2025 Kp records (GFZ Potsdam) and 2015–2024 hourly cloud history for Kiruna itself — the full method is on the methodology page. Travelling soon? Check tonight's live Kiruna forecast.

January against the rest of the year

1. Jan29% of nights
2. Feb35% of nights
3. Mar46% of nights
4. Apr22% of nights
5. Maymidnight sun
6. Junmidnight sun
7. Julmidnight sun
8. Aug11% of nights
9. Sep33% of nights
10. Oct33% of nights
11. Nov31% of nights
12. Dec29% of nights

December in Kiruna · February in Kiruna · full year overview

January elsewhere under the oval

• Yellowknife 54% of nights
• Fairbanks 53% of nights
• Tromsø 32% of nights
• Reykjavík 32% of nights
• Lofoten Islands 28% of nights
• Abisko 18% of nights
• Rovaniemi 18% of nights