The weather in Finland

The weather in Finland is very diverse. Located in the coastal zone of the Eurasian continent, Finland enjoys both a maritime and a continental climate .

The weather in Finland is variable and can change very quickly, which is typical of the weather in Scandinavia. When there is wind from the west, the weather is generally warm and sunny in most parts of Finland. Finland is located in the zone where the tropical and polar air masses meet, so the Finnish weather tends to change quickly, especially in the winter months.

The weather in Finland is not as cold as many think: Finnish average temperatures are higher than other regions in the same latitudes, such as southern Greenland. The temperature is mainly increased by the warm air currents from the Atlantic Ocean, and also by the Baltic Sea.

Summer offers great weather in Finland. In southern Finland and central Finland, summer weather is mild and warm, as in other parts of southern Scandinavia, while Finnish winters are long and cold. In northern parts of Finland, there is snow 90 days a year. The mildest winter weather can be found in southwestern Finland among the countless islands in the Baltic Sea.

The Finnish weather has a big difference depending on which month you want to travel to this Scandinavian country. The hottest month is July and the coldest is February. February is also the driest month in Finland, while August is again the wettest time of the year.

View the average weather in Finland here

Popular Areas in Finland

Helsinki
Helsinki is much warmer than one might think, thanks to the currents of the Baltic Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Average temperatures in January and February are about -5 degrees Celsius. Located in the southern part of the country, the snow season in Helsinki is much shorter than other parts of the country.

Helsinki has long summer days and very low sun during winter. The average temperature in summer is 21 degrees Celsius.

Tampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. The climate varies between a humid continental climate and a subarctic climate, with mild summers and sub-zero winters from November to March. The snow season usually runs from late November to early April. The daily average temperature is 17 degrees Celsius in July and only -6 degrees Celsius in January.

Oulu
Oulu is one of the northernmost major cities in the world. The subarctic climate lends itself to cold, snowy winters and a short, warm summer, with an average annual temperature of just 3 degrees Celsius. The city has about 19 inches of rainfall per year, mostly in July and August. Summers are long, but winters are extremely dark with an average of eight hours of sunshine total during the month of December.

Saimaa Lake District
Average temperatures in Lake Saimaa vary incredibly much. Given the humidity, temperatures feel cold for part of the year with a chance of rain or snow for much of the year. The area is less temperate than some compared to tourist destinations worldwide. Weeks with ideal weather are not uncommon, however. If you are looking for the warmest time to visit Lake Saimaa, June, July and August are the hottest months. The hottest time of the year is generally the end of July, where the maximum temperature is regularly around 24.4°C and temperatures rarely drop below 11.8°C at night.

Finnish Lapland
The northernmost region of Finland has a subarctic climate with frigid winters and mild summers.
December to February is the peak travel season here, the region is popular with travelers looking to see the Northern Lights. Temperatures average around -9 degrees Celsius in December, but it can occasionally drop to -30 degrees Celsius. The snow season lasts from October to mid-May. Summer is warmer, with temperatures between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.