SEASONS
The changing of the seasons in Lapland is dramatic and distinctly noticeable. Lapland’s four seasons are spring, summer, autumn, and winter that lasts for around half a year. Wintertime also includes the twilight period that lasts a few months; a time when there is no real daylight as the sun stays below the horizon.
Spring
The rays of sunshine glisten off the snow and warm lovers of the great outdoors. Birds start the day with joyful song and catkins start to form on the willow bushes. It is spring, the transitional period from winter to summer.
This is a time when the snow gradually starts to melt and nature awakens to once more display its splendour. It may also even snow in late spring, but summer is on its way, and by Midsummer at the very latest the sun should provide some nice warmth. The temperatures in Lapland in early June can fall a few degrees below zero and it may even snow. This is a time called back winter. Back winter is very unfortunate for the flora in the region, as the total growing season only lasts around three months.
Summer
Summer in Lapland is bright, the time of the nightless night. Night and day the midnight sun stays above the horizon. For instance, going as far north as Utsjoki, the sun stays above the horizon from mid-May to mid-July – altogether two months. Actual hot weather (>25°C) days are few and far between in Lapland, as the average temperature for the whole of Lapland varies between 10 to 16 degrees Celsius. Before Midsummer frost can occur in many places in Lapland, so July and its last weeks are the warmest times of the summer. Early summer also has very little precipitation, as rain only starts to increase around August.
During times with no snow, Lapland offers meaningful experiences in the nightless night, the rugged beauty of the fell highlands and sparkling clear waters. Nature can be experienced by trekking, cycling and horse riding the terrain, or traversing the waterways by canoeing, white water rafting and fishing. Those who yearn for a bit of culture will be glad to hear that Lapland has a variety of events throughout the summer, such as the
Midnight Sun Film Festival in Sodankylä and the Simerock Concert in Rovaniemi. In the summertime, visitors should be prepared for mosquitoes, especially if your trip heads for the Lappish wilderness in the heart of nature.
Autumn
As the first night time frost of autumn sets in and the days get shorter, the vegetation starts preparations for the coming winter. The leaves of trees change colour from green into vibrant shades of golden yellow and glowing crimson to crown the period of natural colour and splendour called ruska.
Ruska begins in the north where the best time to experience these remarkable colours of nature are after the first week in September. Ruska arrives in southern Lapland around a week later than in northern Lapland. Apart from admiring the countryside during ruska, the autumn is otherwise a good time to head for Lapland’s nature. The forests are full of berries and mushrooms just waiting to be picked.
Winter
Winter starts off as dark, bleak and cold in November, but changes into bright and sunny days during springtime at the end of April. The first snowfall may occur in Lapland as early as August – September, but permanent snow cover normally falls in November. Christmastime is the darkest time for Lapland’s twilight period, a time when the sun does not rise above the horizon and there are only a few hours of daylight.
The clean, recently fallen snow puts people in good spirits and facilitates winter activities, such as skiing. During the winter Lapland gets snow from 50 centimetres to the North Lapland snow depths of over a metre. February is statistically the coldest month of the year, and late February is the time when the twilight period ends.
The sunshine seems to appear from nowhere to once more illuminate the northern skies and spectacularly reflects off the glistening snow. The sunshine and just below zero temperatures of early spring entice people into activities throughout the springtime, as late March is the time with the most snow and the skiing conditions in Lapland are excellent through to mid-May.
During periods of snow, Lapland presents itself as sparkling clean white snowscapes with the glowing northern lights dancing through the dark skies. The silent and snowy nature can be reached in a moment on skis or snowshoes, in a sleigh pulled by huskies or reindeer, or for those after some real speed, one alternative is snowmobiling. The numerous downhill skiing centres of the Lappish fell resorts have excellent slopes for skiers and there are plenty of events throughout the season.