Four seasons

The four seasons in Finland differ vastly from each other, and people are clearly affected by them. Finns blossom as soon as the sun shows its first signs of spring and it is not an uncommon sight to see Finnish people sitting outside in minus degrees wrapped up in a blanket with their faces turned up towards the sun. Finland feels like a completely different country during the spring and summer months compared to the autumn and winter.

In Finland temperatures are given in degrees Celsius °C. To covnvert between Fahrenheit and Celsius click here. 

The summer is warm and bright with almost 20 hours of daylight at the latitude of Helsinki. 

The temperature often rises to +20 °C or more and occasionally goes close to +30°C in the southern and eastern parts of the country. North of the Arctic Circle, the midnight sun stays continuously above the horizon from early June to early July.

The autumn and the spring can be rainy. 

In the winter, northern Finland is covered by snow from November to April. In the south, the snow usually arrives in December. North of the Arctic Circle, the winter includes a period known as the polar nights, when the sun does not rise above the horizon at all. 

In the northernmost extremity of Finland, the polar night lasts for 51 days. In southern Finland, the shortest day is about 6 hours long. 

In winter, temperatures of -20°C are not uncommon in many areas. The average temperature in Helsinki in July is +17°C and in February -5,7°C. Lapland has clearly lower winter temperatures.

Warm winter clothing is a necessity in Finland, you will need a warm coat and winter boots. Warm gloves, a warm hat that covers the ears, and long underwear are necessities. Although it can be cold outside, buildings are well-heated and people wear light clothing inside.