Finland Weather Radar

Finland climate

Finland's climate is among the most severe of any EU country, with long, dark winters and surprisingly warm summers. Located between the 60th and 70th parallels, Finland experiences extreme variations in daylight — from near 24-hour sunshine in summer to just a few hours of twilight during the darkest winter months in the north. The country's numerous lakes, covering about 10% of its surface area, have a moderating influence on local temperatures.

Winter dominates the Finnish calendar, with snow covering the ground for 4-5 months in the south and up to 7 months in Lapland. Temperatures regularly drop below -20°C in the interior, and the record low of -51.5°C makes Finland one of the coldest countries in Europe. Despite the cold, Finnish winters are often calm and still, with the extreme cold typically associated with clear, high-pressure conditions rather than storms.

Helsinki has a humid continental climate with winters averaging -5°C and summers around 17°C. The capital benefits from its coastal location on the Baltic, which keeps it milder than the interior. Tampere and Jyväskylä in the lake district are colder in winter, while Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle and Utsjoki in northernmost Finland experience true Arctic conditions. Finnish Lapland is one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights from September through March.