WEATHER IN SCANDINAVIA

For the latest weather reports in Scandinavia please click on the city name under Weather on the left hand side.

At the bottom of this page you will also find some suggestions on what cloths you should pack.

Generally through the summer season the weather can be extremely changable

Because of the Gulf Stream, Norway has a friendlier climate than the latitude indicates. Check our weather links before you travel.

Norway shares the same latitude as Alaska, Greenland and Siberia, but compared to these areas Norway has a pleasant climate.

Summer

Late June to early August is when the weather is warmest and the days are long and bright. Temperatures in July and August can reach 25°C - 30°C. At the same time there is hardly any humidity in the air.

Sea temperatures can reach 18°C and higher, making swimming a popular pastime.

The warmest and most stable weather usually occurs on the eastern side of the southern mountains, including the south coast between Mandal and Oslo.

Even further north, summer temperatures are rather pleasant – sometimes reaching as high as 25°C or more.

However, the summer weather can be wet and changeable, especially in Northen Finland and Northern Norway

If you want to experience the midnight sun, you will have to travel to the northern part of the country, above the Arctic Circle.

Autumn

In the autumn the landscape is painted in golden colours. The temperature drops slowly through September, making for good berry and mushroom picking weather.

During autumn the land areas lose more heat than the sea, and eventually the coastal areas have the highest temperatures. In September the outer part of the Oslofjord usually has the highest mean temperatures. Later in the autumn, the warmest areas are usually found on the coast of Rogaland and Hordaland.

Winter

In winter much of Scandinavia is usually transformed into a snow-clad paradise.

The lower inland areas, both in the southern and northern parts of Norway and Finland, can have very low mean temperatures in winter. Temperatures can reach below -40°C in the inner areas of Lapland and Eastern Norway, even if this does not happen every winter.

By contrast, the coastal areas have comparatively mild winters. However, gales, rain and clouds can be frequent and heavy.

Spring

May to mid-June is when the scenery in Scandinavia is at its most spectacular, with trees and flowers waking to life, snow in the mountains and melt water swelling the waterfalls. Orchards of flowering fruit trees along the fjords in May are images of paradise.

There are several public holidays in May, and the Scandinavians make full use of them to celebrate springtime after a long winter.

Spring is the season when the temperature differences between the southern and northern part of the region are largest. This is also the time of year when daytime and nighttime temperatures differ the most.

In early spring the coastal areas usually has the highest mean temperatures, but in May the highest temperatures are usually found in the southern part of Eastern and Southern Scandinavia.

The weather in spring can be very varied. There may be days when it is cold enough to snow, and days when it is warm enough to sit outside in the sunshine. Spring months can also be very windy.

Remember that the weather and temperatures can change quickly, especially in the mountains. So whether summer or winter, autumn or spring – Prepare yourself for the wilderness, and bring good footwear and warm clothes.  

Average daytime temperatures

Your luggage should include some light clothes, items you can layer (that way you can add or remove layers depending on temperature), at least one warm jumper, waterproof coat and/or umbrella and comfortable walking shoes/boots/trainers.

In autumn and spring, you may want to bring waterproof trousers and boots.

For the summer, lighten up, but remember that even summer evenings and nights can be chilly, particularly in the mountains.

Also remember that you will have access to self service laundry facilities whils onboard the Hurtigruten (it is inexpensive, costing approx $7 for a full machine load washed and dried), so if you plan to use this you should only pack for 10days travel, saving you space and luggage weight.