Summers in Finland might be warm and sunny, but some days can be rainy too. Usually it’s around 18-20 degrees warm, but it can go also near or even over 30 degrees. The weather can change quite fast from warm to cold, and it is always a good idea to have a lighter jacket and long pants with you even in the summer time. The best thing about the Finnish summer is that the days and nights are so bright. In midsummer, the sun doesn’t even go below the horizon.
When the academic year starts in September, it is usually still pretty warm and sunny. However, soon you will notice that the weather starts to get colder and the days start to get darker. Autumn is typically a very rainy period and you can expect a lot of gloomy days. It is a good idea to have warm clothes, a water-proof jacket and water-proof shoes for this time of the year. In winter we usually have a lot of snow and cold weather.
In December and January the sun is up only a few hours, so it is very dark. Luckily, in February the days start to get a little bit brighter again and we can enjoy a lot of sunny days on the ice. This is the coldest time of the year, and you should have a warm winter jacket and boots with you. The best thing about Finnish winters is all the activities it enables, such as ice-skating and skiing.
As we get to spring, the days start to become very bright again. The weather is typically somewhere between 5 to 15 degrees, and it can be quite rainy as well. In April and May we already start to get some very sunny and warm days when it can be even 20 degrees warm. The same type of clothes are usually good for both spring and autumn time.
To summarise, Finland typically has four very distinct seasons that offer you very different experiences. The weather can of course be a little bit different every year – sometimes the wintertime is warmer and there’s not very much snow, or the summers are colder than usual. The key advice here is that you should be prepared for anything. Luckily, the changing weathers are the perfect conversation starter – we Finns love to talk about the weather!
