Weather and seasons in Finland - yhteiskuntaorientaatio.fi
The weather varies greatly according to the season
Finland has four distinct seasons. The climate varies a lot in different parts of the country. On the southwest coast of Finland, the average daily temperature varies from +17 centigrades in July to -4 centigrades in February, while in the northernmost part of Finland the average daily temperature is around +14°C in July and -13°C in February.
Rain in Finland is relatively steady throughout the year. Rainfall throughout the year is usually around 500 to 650 millimetres. On average, it rains slightly more in the east and south than in the north and west. Summer is the rainiest season. It often rains a lot at once. However, there are more rainy days in autumn and winter.
As a result of climate change, Finland’s climate is already changing and the impact will increase in the future. Temperatures and the amount of rainfall will rise, but also droughts will increase. Snowy time is getting shorter, especially in the south. If there is no snow on the ground that reflects light, winters will be darker.
Winter can be cold and snowy
In northern Finland, winter can be cold and very snowy. The temperature can sometimes be as low as -30°C. it is rarely that cold in southern Finland. In Helsinki, for example, the temperature stays between 0°C and –10°C for most of January. The length of winter varies in different parts of the country. In the northern part of Finland, that is, Lapland, winter lasts six months, while in southern Finland winter lasts one third of the year, usually from late November to the end of March. The daylight period is short in winter, shorter in the north than in the south. In winter, many people enjoy winter sports such as skating, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing.
A new growth season begins in spring
Spring is the shortest of Finnish seasons. It lasts only 1.5 to 2 months during April and May. In the spring, snow and ice melt away and the daylight time gets longer. At the same time, a new growth season begins. In Finland, plants only have one growing season, from spring to autumn. People often follow the progress of spring with enthusiasm, such as the return of certain migratory bird species to Finland or the first flowers of spring.
In the summer, nights are white in Finland
Summer is a warm season that lasts about two months in the north and about four months in the south. Summer months are June, July and August. Summer in Finland can be hot, and the temperature rises over +25 centigrades. Sometimes summer can be cold and rainy. In Lapland, the sun shines around the clock in the summer, even at night. This phenomenon is called the midnight sun or polar day. In summer, people spend a lot of time outdoors and enjoy the light and warm weather.
In autumn, people prepare for winter
Autumn in Finland lasts about two months. Autumn begins in the south in September and ends in late November when winter begins. In the north, autumn begins already at the end of August and ends in mid-October. During autumn, the air gets colder, and the length of the daylight period gets shorter and shorter. The leaves and plants of the trees gradually wither. During autumn, the fields are harvested, and many people like to forage for wild berries and mushrooms in the forests.
Layered clothing keeps you warm
Because the weather in Finland varies greatly from season to season and even from day to day, it is important to dress according to the weather. It is good to have a lighter coat for spring and autumn, as well as a thick and warm winter coat. In addition, it is good to have a selection of tops and knitwear of different thickness so that they can layered. In the winter, you should wear long underpants or thick and warm tights under your trousers or skirt. In addition, hats, scarves, gloves and wool socks keep you warm. This is called layering.
Winter shoes should be big enough to fit a wool sock if necessary. A thick base in shoes insulates against the cold coming from the ground.
Although people in Finland often spend more time indoors in winter than in summer, many people also spend a lot of time outdoors when it is cold outside. In cold weather, you can be outside for a long time by wearing many layers of clothing underneath a quilted jacket and padded trousers suitable for winter outdoor activities. Movement also generates heat. It’s important to listen to yourself and move inside if it gets too cold, or if your fingers or toes become numb.
Young children also spend time outdoors in all weathers. Therefore, it is important that children have good winter clothes. Children are more sensitive to cold than adults. Babies have naps in their prams outdoors in warm clothes and a sleeping bag even during the winter if it is not too cold. In rainy weather, children wear waterproof clothes, or “mud clothes”, so that they can play freely without getting wet.
The videos below show you how to dress your child for outdoor activities in cold or wet weather, and how to dress your baby in winter. The videos are in Finnish.
Video: Jyväskylä’s health care services How to dress a child in winter (youtube.com)
Video: Jyväskylä’s health care services How to dress a baby in winter(youtube.com)
Winter requires adaptation, but life continues in winter, too
Compared to most other countries, the special feature of Finland’s climate is winter. In addition to the cold, wintertime darkness and slippery conditions may also require getting used to. Life continues as usual in winter. Although particularly heavy snowfall can disrupt traffic, it is very rare for schools to close in winter due to weather.
Darkness can affect your mood
The darkest month is December. On the shortest day of the year, on 21-22 December, the daylight period in Helsinki is less than six hours. In Lapland the sun does not rise at all in winter, it is called polar night. The shortest polar night lasts a couple days but it gets longer as we go further north. In Nuorgam, Finland’s northernmost location, the sun does not rise at all for more than seven weeks.
Darkness can affect mood, and some people feel depressed or tired in the winter because of the darkness. This may be because the circadian rhythm gets disturbed as the sunlight does not signal to the brain when it is day and when it is night. Low mood and fatigue can be helped by a bright light therapy lamp, which is used every morning for 30 to 60 minutes. The bright light imitates the sun's light and signals to the brain that it's morning.
During the dark season, it is important to take care of yourself, especially good sleep patterns. It is good to exercise regularly, and it is advisable to go outside in the light when possible. In winter, you often want to eat more, especially sweet treats, but it’s good to try to eat healthily and enjoy fruits and vegetables. In Finland, it is also recommended to eat vitamin D supplements in the winter.
More information about vitamin D on the page : Promoting your health and well-being
Use safety reflectors when it is dark
In the dark streets, it is hard for drivers to see pedestrians. For this reason, in winter, reflectors should be attached to clothing to improve visibility. The Road Traffic Act stipulates that pedestrians must usually use a safety reflector when moving in the dark. The driver can only see a pedestrian without a reflector in the dark from a distance of 50 metres, but a reflector from a distance of 350 metres. Safety reflectors can be purchased in ordinary supermarkets and many other stores. Bicycles must have functioning front and rear lights.
Slippery weather is a challenge for pedestrians
In winter, the streets in Finland are often covered with snow or ice and thus slippery. In slippery weather, it is good to focus on walking and walk carefully. You should choose low-heeled shoes with rubber soles with deep indentations. The shops sell anti-slip shoe covers that are attached to shoes. Gravel is being applied to the streets to make them less slippery.
In the summer, people roam outdoors and enjoy the light
In summer, the sun does not shine as strongly in Finland as in the more southern countries. However, especially for children and people with light skin, it is important to protect themselves from the sunlight. Both children and adults should protect their eyes with sunglasses in the summer. The power of solar radiation does not depend on the temperature, so in the summer it is good to protect yourself even in cool weather.
The amount of natural light can make it difficult to fall asleep as summer nights do not get really dark. This can be helped by special blackout curtains in windows.
In summer, beautiful weather inspires you to roam outdoors. It is safe to move about in nature. Predators, such as bears and wolves, do live in Finland, but they usually stay away from humans. It is very unlikely to be faced with a predator in the woods.
The only poisonous snake in Finland is the adder (kyy). A snake bite is usually not dangerous for a healthy adult, but it is still worth seeing a doctor immediately if an adder bites. In addition, when walking in nature, you should be careful about ticks. They live especially in long grass. A tick bites into the skin and sucks blood. Ticks can spread Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. You can get a vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis. You can buy tongs from the pharmacy to remove the tick from the skin.
