Svalbard's Three Seasons
When you start researching you trip to Svalbard, you'll discover that we often refer to three seasons here in the Arctic, not four. These are the Northern Lights Winter, Sunny Winter and Polar Summer. Each season is totally unique, and boasts widely differing experiences. Even if both October and February are part of the Northern Lights Winter, visits in these two months will give you quite different experiences. Here's an overview for the whole year, month by month, with a little information on what to expect - and look forward to!
Polar Summer | 17th May - 30th September
Polar Summer is a popular time to visit Svalbard, lasting from mid-May to late September. The Midnight Sun has already dominated the sky for more than a month when summer marks its entrance on the 17th of May (Norway’s Constitution Day) and won’t drop below the horizon again until late August. In a polar summer, day and night become one in the High Arctic, and the light is the same around the clock. The four months of the Midnight Sun affect the circadian or biological clock of humans and animals alike, and it’s easy for both two and four-legged individuals to lose track of time during this magical time of year.
After a long winter, a natural miracle occurs in Svalbard when these remote islands come alive with wildlife. Thousands of birds return from their migration south to feast in the waters off Svalbard, which offer a plentiful supply of food. We also see the return of larger marine life with an abundance of walruses, seals, and whales entering the fjords of Svalbard, attracted by the feast on offer in the cold waters by the ice edge. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, the Polar summer is ideal for you, with the return of these migratory animals alongside those that inhabit Svalbard year-round (polar bears, polar foxes, Svalbard rock ptarmigan and Svalbard reindeer).
Northern Lights Winter | 1st October - 28th February
Be well prepared for your Northern Lights Winter adventure! As we move into October, it’s already dark in the evenings, and there is noticeably less daylight as each day passes. By the middle of November, we are in what is often referred to as the dark season or “Polar Night”. This two-and-a-half-month period, when the sun is at least 6 degrees below the horizon and with the darkness here 24/7, you have little or no hints as to what time it is.
During the dark season, this is one of the best times to experience the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). But, like all other natural phenomena, you need the right conditions: clear skies, patience, little to no light pollution and a bit of luck. However, in the northernmost reaches of Norway, you will most likely see the Northern Lights on every clear night, and they can last for up to 30 minutes at a time. Svalbard is one of the best places to witness the Northern Lights. Due to the polar night and 24 hours of darkness, we don’t have to wait for nightfall; it's possible to experience and hunt the aurora in the middle of the day. Finally with Longyearbyen and its surroundings have very little to no light pollution, so you will see the lights more clearly, plus the addition of a stunning yet stark wilderness, and you have a winning combination!
Sunny Winter | 1st March - 16th May
Sunny Winter is the most popular time to visit Svalbard, with beautiful ice and snow-covered landscape and the return of the sun. Even though we have daylight, the contrasts are enormous – from virtual twilight during the daytime in early March to the never-ending light of the Midnight Sun from 20 April.
From early March, the light has returned during the day, but still dark in the evening and at night. We often refer to this transition up to mid-April as the “pastel winter”, referring to the unique and beautiful light conditions. During these few weeks, the snow-covered mountains meet the bright blue sky, and the steadily increasing presence of the sun casts the clearest pastel shades over the landscape. This transition from the winter darkness to the summer brightness impacts everyone who lives here at 78˚ North; it’s as if we wake up to a new nature as the daylight displaces the darkness. This transition also causes a change of adventure, from indoor activities to far more action in the great outdoors, as many guests and locals journey into the wilderness by ski, dog sled or snowmobile.
