Aurora forecast / November
Northern lights in Iceland in November
Long nights, but the weather starts working against you.
November has abundant darkness — the limiting factor is almost entirely cloud. This is the month where our score most often reports "cloud is the limiting factor" despite decent solar activity. Mobility matters more than location: being able to drive an hour to a clear patch is worth more than starting somewhere famous.
How dark does it get in November?
- Reykjavík: 13.5 hours dark enough for aurora
- Akureyri: 13.8 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.
What November has actually done
Averaged over 20 years (2006-2025), a typical November gives 59.8 hours of clear dark sky — 14.7% of its 405.9 dark hours. Mean geomagnetic activity for the month is Kp 1.5.
Clearest in November: Kirkjubæjarklaustur (86.7 h), Hella (81.4 h), Reykjavík (76.7 h).
Cloud measured by reanalysis and corrected against Icelandic weather stations; Kp from GFZ Potsdam. How every month compares.
Roads and access in November
Winter conditions established; passes may close, F-roads shut. Winter tyres required by law from 1 November.
What else is happening
Ice caves open, and Christmas markets begin at the end of the month.
Every month
January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Tonight's aurora forecast · Iceland weather map
Somewhere to be while you wait for the month
Step inside Asbyrgi — narrated, and dark enough for the lights when the sky clears.