Much of Finland likely snow-free over Christmas, except for Lapland
If you want to see snow and ice over Christmas, you’ll have to head pretty far north, according to the latest forecast. Christmas Eve is only six days away.
It seems that central and southern areas across Finland will be snowless — or at least have very little of the white stuff — over Christmas, according to Yle’s meteorology unit on Thursday.
However, Yle meteorologist Aleksi Lohtander noted that Christmas Eve is still six days away, making accurate forecasting difficult.
There is a chance of snow showers or light snowfall in southern areas at the beginning of next week and on Christmas Eve, but it’s unlikely to arrive in significant amounts.
“If you want to see snow and ice over Christmas, you’ll have to go to Koililismaa (in Northern Ostrobothnia) or Lapland,” Lohtander said.
While central areas of the country will get a few centimeters of snow on Thursday, it is expected to melt away as temperatures rise in the coming days. At the moment, the only areas expected to have snow cover during Christmas will be in Lapland, eastern parts of Northern Ostrobothnia and some areas in Kainuu.
At the moment, the area around the city of Oulu has around seven centimeters of snow cover, but it’s melting.
“It’s possible that even Oulu will be snow-free over Christmas, which would be a very rare occurrence. On the other hand, nothing can be said for sure at this stage,” Lohtander explained.
“Snowfall estimates fluctuate from forecast to forecast, which is completely understandable five or six days in advance,” he continued.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Cold spell expected across Yukon for remainder of December, CBC News
Finland: Lapland bucks the trend as rest of Finland logs near-record warm autumn, Eye on the Arctic
Sweden: Cooler summer temperatures good for Sweden’s Sami reindeer-herding communities, Radio Sweden
United States: New research suggest some salmon species expanding their range in the Arctic, Eye on the Arctic
