Month by month
Northern Lights in Rovaniemi in January
January in Rovaniemi: 12 hours of full darkness, the coldest nights of the year, deep snow and fewer people than December. Aurora odds, temperatures and what to book.
Short answer: January is a strong month for the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi. It is the coldest month of the year, with the FMI's January daily mean at −10.3 °C, but it has about 12.5 hours of full darkness every night, deep snow, and, after the first week, the quietest and cheapest weeks of the whole winter. Cloud cover stays heavy, so our January hunts drive far, about 120 km each way on average, to find clear sky.
If you can handle the cold, January gives you the most Lapland for your money: empty trails, fresh snow, and aurora nights with plenty of dark hours.
January in Rovaniemi at a glance
| Fact | January |
|---|---|
| Daylight (mid-month) | About 4 hours |
| Sunrise / sunset (mid-month) | About 10:20 to 14:32 |
| Full darkness for aurora (sun more than 18° below the horizon) | About 12.5 hours |
| Average temperature, 24 h | −10.3 °C |
| Average night low | −13.5 °C |
| Record low | −38.1 °C |
| Snow | Deep, dry snow all month |
| Aurora odds (our scale) | Good |
| Typical cloud | Heavy, easing late in the month |
| Our average chase distance | About 120 km each way |
| Crowds and prices | Busy in the first week, then the quietest and cheapest weeks of winter |
Sources: Finnish Meteorological Institute, temperature statistics 1991-2020 (Rovaniemi airport); Finnish Meteorological Institute, snow statistics; Polar Lapland tour logs. Sunrise, sunset and darkness figures are calculated for Rovaniemi (66.5°N) with standard solar formulas and rounded; they shift by a few minutes across the month.
What January is actually like
The sun is back, just barely. In mid-January it rises at about 10:20 and sets around 14:32, and every day gains several minutes. The light is low and golden, and the blue twilight lingers for hours. Full darkness lasts from roughly 17:30 to 06:00.
January and February share the title of coldest month. The 1991-2020 normals give a January average night low of −13.5 °C, and the record at Rovaniemi airport is −38.1 °C. Most winters bring at least one week below −25 °C. This is dry cold, and it is easier to handle than it sounds if you dress for it: read what to wear before you pack.
Your odds of seeing the aurora in January
The aurora itself does not care about the calendar: Rovaniemi sits under the auroral oval and the FMI records auroras on roughly half of all nights in Lapland's resort belt. What changes month to month is cloud and darkness. January has almost as much darkness as December and slightly better cloud statistics towards the end of the month, when the deep-winter high-pressure systems bring the clearest, coldest nights of the year.
Those clear, cold nights are the classic January aurora night: −25 °C, no wind, a sky so dark the Milky Way shows behind the lights. Our guides plan every evening from live cloud models and the solar wind, and on cloudy nights we drive, sometimes across the border into Sweden. That is why our January success rate stays above 90% despite the cloud.
What to book in January
- A small-group hunt. With fewer visitors in town, the small-group tour (max 8 per guide, 4-12 hours) is easier to get onto in January than in December.
- Riisitunturi National Park. January is peak season for the crown-snow-loaded trees, the famous tykky. Our Riisitunturi day tour includes lunch and hot drinks.
- Korouoma's frozen waterfalls are at full height in January, and the ice climbers are on them. See the Korouoma guide and the day trip.
- Snowmobile and husky mornings. Short daylight means the best time for snowmobiling and husky safaris is late morning to early afternoon.
Handling the cold on a long aurora night
On an aurora tour you stand still for long periods, so you generate almost no body heat. Three layers, wool socks, mittens over thin gloves and a neck gaiter are the minimum; we add thermal overalls and hot drinks. Keep your phone inside your jacket, its battery drains fast below −20 °C. If you feel cold, say so: the van is warm and we take breaks in it between photo stops.
Whichever tour you pick, every Polar Lapland aurora hunt comes with the 100% money-back Aurora Guarantee: no photo of you with the Northern Lights, no payment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is January a good month to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi?
Yes. January has about 12.5 hours of full darkness each night and deep snow, and the second half of the month often brings clear, cold high-pressure nights. Cloud is still frequent, so a tour that drives to clear sky matters more than in March.
How cold does it get in Rovaniemi in January?
The FMI 1991-2020 normals give a January daily mean of −10.3 °C and an average night low of −13.5 °C. Spells below −25 °C are normal and the record low is −38.1 °C. Dry Arctic cold is manageable with layers, thermal overalls and regular warm-up breaks.
Is Rovaniemi crowded in January?
Only in the first week, when the Christmas and New Year visitors are still in town. From about 7 January to mid-February Rovaniemi has its quietest weeks, with better tour availability and lower accommodation prices.
How much daylight does Rovaniemi have in January?
About 4 hours in mid-January, with sunrise around 10:20 and sunset around 14:32. Daylight grows by roughly 6 to 7 minutes a day, so by the end of the month there are about 6 hours.
Do husky and snowmobile tours run in January?
Yes, every day. Snow cover is deep and reliable, and the cold is usually driest in January. Book daytime tours for late morning, when the low sun lights up the forest.
