Snow, high winds and freezing temperatures expected for Finnish Lapland
Motorists in Finland could have a challenging few days ahead, with more snow and strong winds set to sweep across the country this week.
Snowfall is expected throughout Tuesday in southern and central Finland. Meteorologists are predicting wet, windy weather over the next few days. The Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) has issued a warning of poor road conditions due to snow or sleet until Wednesday morning in most of southern and eastern Finland, stretching from the Hanko peninsula to North Karelia.
Yle meteorologist Joonas Koskela predicts that the highest snow accumulations will be in the east, which may pick up 5-10 centimetres of new snow on Tuesday.
Wednesday should be drier in most areas, with temperatures at or just below the freezing point in southern and central Finland. In Finnish Lapland, nighttime temperatures may dip as low as -20 degrees Celsius, remaining at nearly the same levels during the daytime.
Windy Wednesday
Winds will pick up on Wednesday, bringing a powerful new belt of snow in from the west. On Thursday gale-force winds may reach storm strength at sea.
Northern Finland is set to get the most snow on Thursday, as much as 20 cm in some parts. As it is, areas such as Kittilä in Finnish Lapland already have 58 cm of snow on the ground. The FMI warns that driving conditions will again be hazardous through most of the country on Thursday.
In the south, though, the snow will be temporary, says Koskela, who expects temperatures to rise as the weekend approaches.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Who really built Canada’s first highway to the Arctic Ocean?, Blog by Mia Bennett
Finland: Majority of winter tyres illegal, linked to traffic deaths says Finnish study, Yle News
Sweden: Greens demand total ban on studded tires in Sweden, Radio Sweden
Russia: Challenges ahead for electric car chargers along Europe’s northernmost highway, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: Remote Alaska community to receive state money after Arctic mega-storm, Alaska Dispatch News
