People from all over the world come to Finnish Lapland to experience its unique natural phenomena. In the autumn all nature turns from green to a glowing spectrum of red, yellow, orange and brown, the colourful splendour usually reaching its peak in September. Another unique Nordic treat is Nature’s own fireworks, the northern lights, which can be seen best around midnight on clear nights in September-October and in February-March.

Around December, during the period of winter darkness, the sun never rises above the horizon, which means that there is very little light during the day. From the end of May till mid July, however, the sun never sets below the horizon at all.

Winters in Lapland are cold and snowy but, thanks to the Gulf Steam, the summers are relatively warm. There is considerable seasonal variation, and springtime is typically short.

There is usually snow from November till May, and the lakes are normally frozen by the beginning of December. Both the snow and the ice are at their thickest during late spring.

There is a notable variation in temperature in Lapland. During the winter the temperature can drop to well below -30 C, while summer temperatures can rise to above +20 C. During the winter the temperature can easily rise or drop by more than ten degrees within 24 hours.

Areas where the June average temperature does not exceed +10 C are defined as arctic. In the province of Lapland the arctic zone begins at the polar circle. The polar circle runs through the province just north of Rovaniemi.

Average temperatures:
January	-25  –  -5 C
February	-25  –  -3 C
March	-17 C  –  -2 C
April	-7 C  –  +2 C
May	+1 C  –  +11 C
June	+7 C  –  +16 C
July	+11 C  –  +18 C
August	+9 C  –  +16 C
September	+3 C  –  +10 C
October	-9 C  –  +6 C
November	-15 C  –  +1 C
December	-24 C  –  -2 C

 

Weather services and statistics in Finland:
Finnish Meteorological Institute
Foreca Ltd.
Finnish Road Administration

Times for sunrise / sunset:
http://almanakka.helsinki.fi