The Climate in Finland

Finland’s climate has characteristics of both a maritime and a continental climate, depending on the direction of air flow. In winter, the mean temperature remains below 0°C, but warm air flows can raise the daily high above 0°C at times. Winter usually begins in mid-October in Lapland and during November in the rest of Finland. The snow cover is deepest around mid-March, with an average of 60 to 90 cm of snow in eastern and northern Finland and 20 to 30 cm in southwestern Finland. The lakes freeze over in late November and early December. The ice is thickest in early April, at about 50 to 65 cm.

In summer, the mean daily temperature is consistently above 10°C. Summer usually begins in late May. The highest summer temperatures in the Finnish interior are from 32°C to 35°C. Finland has irregular rains. The lowest annual rainfall may be 200 to 300 mm, and the highest annual rainfall 700 mm in northern Finland and 900 to 1100 mm elsewhere.