Skip to content
Suomen ilmasto

Finnish climate

Published06.09.2024
The Finnish climate is colder than in many other countries. However, the weather varies significantly in different seasons. Finland has a lot of nature, and you can enjoy and explore nature in all seasons.

Winter

In Finland, the winter months are December, January and February. The weather is also cold in November and March. The temperature is often below zero degrees Celsius in winter and can even fall to below -20 degrees Celsius. In Northern Finland, it is colder than in Southern Finland and the temperature can be as low as below -30°C. It can snow in winter. The ground is often frozen and slippery.

Dress warmly in winter. At least wear a warm winter jacket, a hat and gloves, a scarf and warm winter shoes. You should wear several layers of clothing in cold weather.

In Finland, it is often dark in the winter because the sun rises late in the morning and sets in the afternoon. Winter days are darker in Northern Finland than in Southern Finland. In the northernmost part of Finland, the sun does not rise at all for several weeks.

The lack of daylight can make people tired and anxious. You can make yourself feel better in many different ways.

  • Keep in touch with your family and friends.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Eat healthy.
  • Make sure you get enough vitamin D.
  • Get a bright light therapy lamp.

Link redirects to another websiteFinnish Institute for Heath and Welfare

How to stay well in winter, a guide

Spring

In Southern Finland, spring begins at the end of March whereas, in the north, spring comes at the end of April. The spring weather is often cool, but warmer than in winter. In spring, nature changes a lot. The snow melts and nature becomes green as plants and trees grow leaves.

Summer

The summer months in Finland are June, July and August. The warmest month is often July. In Southern Finland, the average temperature in the summer is about 17°C while the temperature in the north is about 15°C.

Evenings and nights are bright in Finland during the summer, as the sun sets late and rises early. Then, Northern Finland has more daylight hours than Southern Finland. The month with the most daylight is June. In Finland, Midsummer, the night of the midnight sun, is celebrated in June. In the northernmost part of Finland, the sun does not set at all in early summer.

If you find it hard to sleep in too much light, get blackout curtains for your bedroom.

Autumn

Autumn normally begins at the end of August or the beginning of September. September and October are a time of autumn colours in Finland. Many leaves of plants and trees, which are green in the summer, turn yellow, orange and red. In the time of autumn colours, nature is beautiful and colourful.

In autumn, the weather is cool and often rainy and windy. The Finnish autumn is also dark because the sun sets earlier than in the summer.

Link redirects to another websiteFinnish Meteorological Institute

Information about the Finnish climate