Lapland experiences coldest January in 40 years
Finland’s Arctic experienced a dry, freezing January that stood out for its freezing—even for winter—temperatures in most areas, except for its high barren terrain.
“In Lapland, it was unusually cold outside the fell areas: the last colder January was almost 40 years ago,” the Finnish Meteorological Institute said in a statement.
The lowest temperature of the month, -42.8 C, was recorded in eastern Lapland on Jan. 9, the third-lowest temperature in Finland this century.
The average temperature in Lapland in January was around -20 C.
Not just cold… but dry
But Lapland wasn’t just bracingly cold, it was also dry.
The region also recorded the lowest amount of precipitation, with only 2.8 mm in Nuorgam, a Sami village across the border from Norway.
It was also dry in central Finland, where low precipitation affected winter snowfall for the month, with the central Arctic the only region bucking the trend.
“At the end of the month, the central part of the country had unusually little snow, 10–30 centimetres below the average,” the FMI said.
“The last time there was less snow in the least snowy areas at this time of year was in 2014.
“Only in Central Lapland was the snow depth above average.”
Comments, tips or story ideas? Contact Eilís at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Be wary of thin ice amid mild weather conditions, says hunter in Fort Smith, N.W.T., CBC News
Finland: Finland braces for temperatures of -25 C in North, Yle News
Norway: Polar heat record. July average above 10°C, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Cooler summer temperatures good for Sweden’s Sami reindeer-herding communities, Radio Sweden
