Finnish Nature

In Finland is four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn.

The changeover to winter weather in Finland takes place fairly quickly in November and December. Winds blowing from the north bring cold air from the Arctic Ocean. In Lapland the weather is wintry in November. In fact in northern Finland in general and in parts of eastern Finland, too, the ground is usually already covered in snow in November. Southern and southwestern parts of the country get a permanent snow cover in December. Winter is the longest season in Finland. According to climatic definition, when the average daily temperature remains below zero, it is winter. Winter weather in the southwestern archipelago, when the sea is ice-free, lasts about three months (December-February) and in northern Lapland more than six months, from mid-October to the end of April. In Lapland’s glistening snow in March – April sunshine can raise the temperature from 15 degrees below zero in the morning to above zero later in the day. In clear weather the sun gives off a maximum of 20 degrees of heat. Winter weather arrives first in the north. In Lapland the tops of the high hills, or fells, generally receive their first coating of snow at the end of August or in September. A permanent snow cover settles on northern and central Lapland on average after mid-October.

Spring:

The months of late winter and spring are March, April and part of May. Springtime is characterized by light winds, clear weather and sunshine during the daytime. In spring, snow and the ice on lakes and on the sea melt. In the south lakes and rivers lose their ice cover at the end of April, while in the north this occurs during May. In spring the temperature varies greatly between night and day as the sun brings warmth during the daylight hours. On a clear night the temperature often falls below zero. In spring there is little rainfall in Finland because the atmosphere in the northern hemisphere is dry after the cold winter. That is why it is often clear and sunny in spring. Although rainfall amounts are generally quite small, snow may fall persistently. In the spring the winds are much lighter than in winter.

Summer:

The climate is becoming warmer all over the world, including Finland, where in the 2000s summers have often been warmer than usual. In Finland, days when the highest temperature is above 25 degrees Celsius are recorded as hot days. Some increase in summer rainfall is also expected. The summer rains accumulate from numerous showers. Hot and record-dry summers or comfortably warm summers with heavy rainfall have been experienced in Finland for more than ten years. In summer, even after a chilly night, the temperature in the morning rises to between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius, and the weather warms quickly towards the afternoon. From the Midsummer festival (around June 24) to mid-August afternoon temperatures are typically between 20 and 23 degrees, and in Lapland, too, they are often about 20 degrees. Sometimes in summer tropically warm humid air reaches Finland from the southeast or south, raising the daytime temperature to close on 30 degrees or more. There is relatively little rain in Finland in early summer. Summer precipitation in normally in the form of brief rain or thunder showers. Very few summer days are cloudy or rainy all day long. At the beginning of summer it is very sunny on the coast because the sea breeze from the cool sea keeps the rain clouds inland in the afternoon. Only towards evening can they move from inland towards the coast as the wind weakens. Many coastal towns advertise themselves as being the sunniest places in Finland in the summer, which, according to the sunshine statistics, holds true compared with localities inland. The sun shines most at sea in the southwestern archipelago and on the coast. The average number of hours of sunshine on the coast in May and June is more than 300, whilst inland the figure is slightly lower. In the middle of summer (July-August) enormous thunderclouds can develop in Finland, almost like in the tropics. Flashes of lightning are frequent and heavy rain is also part of the picture.

Autumn:

In Finland summer weather fades into autumn as August comes to an end. In Lapland autumn weather starts at the end of August, with the advent of the first real frosty nights. In Lapland the period of colourful autumn foliage begins, lasting a few weeks and steadily moving southwards. In southern Finland, especially on the coast, summer temperatures linger until mid-September. There are a few days of summer warmth at the beginning of September. In September, too, the first snow usually falls in the north, but soon melts away. The autumn equinox, when day and night are of equal length all over the world, occurs on September 21. Thereafter, the days become shorter every day until Christmas. By November the change to normal time has been made and the daylight keeps getting shorter. November is also the time of winter storms. Precipitation may start as snow, but the further south it moves the more likely it is to fall as rain.

Made by Jenni