Finland will have a white Christmas, meteorologist says

Clear, crisp winter weather is in store for Finland as of Thursday, bringing a spell of subzero temperatures lasting through the holidays.
Kittilä in Finnish Lapland had the most snow cover on Thursday, with 30 centimetres of powder piling up. Western coastal areas and the capital region had the least fluff, with just five centimetres on the ground.
Flurries have been blowing through the Åland Islands with precipitation from open waters raining down as ice crystals, bringing nine centimetres of fresh powder to the region.
“But overall, there’s less snow than usual for this time of year,” said Yle meteorologist Toni Hellinen.
Icy times ahead
In southern and western Finland the mercury was expected to drop to a maximum of minus five degrees Celsius on Thursday, with temperatures ranging from minus five to minus ten degrees Celsius in the rest of the country.
Friday and Saturday will bring snow showers to the southern coast, according to Hellinen.
As the weekend approaches temperatures nationwide will hover around -10 degrees Celsius, with the exception of Finnish Lapland which will hit -20 degrees.
White Christmas across the country
On Monday, Christmas Eve, meteorologists forecast overcast skies and minus-ten-degree air, with some sunshine possibly making it through the cloud cover.
New Year’s revellers nationwide can meanwhile look forward to ringing in 2019 in subzero temperatures.
In southern areas, temperatures may periodically climb to zero in the week between Christmas and New Year.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: An exceptionally nice fall in Canada’s Yukon this year, CBC News
Finland: Finland’s last snow melts a month earlier than usual, YLE News
Norway: Vegetation in Arctic Europe disturbed by mid-autumn thaw, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Arctic coastal town of Dikson is fastest-warming place in Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Glacier in central Sweden “collapsing” as climate warms, Radio Sweden
United States: New study predicts ‘radical re-shaping’ of Arctic landscape by 2100, CBC News