Aurora forecast / March
Northern lights in Iceland in March
Arguably the sweet spot of the whole season.
March combines still-long nights with milder weather and more settled conditions than midwinter. The equinox period is associated with elevated geomagnetic activity — the Russell-McPherron effect, where the tilt of the Earth relative to the solar wind favours coupling around the equinoxes. If you can only take one trip, this month and September are the strongest candidates.
How dark does it get in March?
- Reykjavík: 8.8 hours dark enough for aurora
- Akureyri: 8.5 hours dark enough for aurora
Measured on the 15th of the month — the hours the sun sits far enough below the horizon for aurora to be visible.
Roads and access in March
Ring road generally reliable; highland F-roads still closed. Some passes reopen late in the month.
What else is happening
Enough daylight for proper sightseeing and enough darkness for aurora, which is a rare combination.
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