yes it's pretty much the same in person in the arctic! Not so much in Banff where I live tho haha. The season ends in a few months, so yes they will definitely be there. Just download a few aurora apps and don't look at the KP it's irrelevant there I've gotten this on a KP1 night. I look at the BZ mostly and cloud coverage.

IMO they are even more impressive in person, especially in the far north. December/January is really the peak for them, mostly because there are the longest periods of darkness. Apparently this phenomenom happens during the daytime too, but we can't see them. Of course cloudy skies cover them up also. Try to avoid the full moon as sometimes they seem more subtle than others.

They are strongest in September/October and then again in March, but you can see them any time of the year as long as it is dark enough (typically late August to early April near the Arctic Circle). The main problem is the weather. Autumn (Sept) and into early winter (Dec) is typically cloudy and wet, while it gets drier and less cloudy during winter and early spring (Jan-Mar). That said, this is not a pattern to rely 100% on, but it gives you a clue about what to expect. This is for the western coast of Northern Norway (where this picture was taken). Eastern parts (Finnmark) and the interior of Northern Sweden and Finland tends to be drier and less cloudy and with a more stable winter.