When is the best time to see the northern lights in Iceland?
Averaged over Reykjavík, Akureyri, Mývatn and Höfn, February had the highest share of good nights in the record, 32%, ahead of January at 29% and December at 28%. From October to March the average never fell below 27%. The months are compared hour by hour over 1995 to 2025.
September and October in Iceland
September averages 23%, the lowest of the dark months. Cloud explains it: Akureyri lost 78% of September nights to cloud and Höfn 70%, its worst month.
October is a different story for the capital. Reykjavík had its best month in October, at 34%, which makes an autumn city break a fair bet.
Midwinter in Iceland: December to February
Höfn in January, at 39%, was the best single month at any of the four places. Its January cloud share, 55%, was also the lowest of any dark month there.
Mývatn has its peak a month later, in February, at 34%.
Spring in Iceland: March and April
March averages 27%, a little below February. April keeps more darkness than in Arctic Norway or Sweden: only 16% of Reykjavík's April nights had no dark hour, and the four places still averaged 17% good nights in April.
Summer in Iceland
From May to July no night at any of the four places had a dark hour, in any year of the record. In August the average was 8%, with Reykjavík at 11%.
For the four places compared month by month, see northern lights in Iceland.
Northern lights tours in Iceland
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