Weather locations in Norway

Norway runs for more than 2,000 kilometres along the Atlantic from about 58 degrees north to North Cape, so it covers every latitude from temperate to subarctic. Warm water from the North Atlantic Current keeps the coast far milder than the same latitude elsewhere, and because mountains rise almost straight off the fjords, rainfall can double within a few kilometres.

Main climate types

The western coast, including Bergen and the fjord lands, is a temperate oceanic type with heavy rain and mild winters. Southern Norway, at Kristiansand and Stavanger, is similar but slightly drier and sunnier. The interior valleys and the plateau of Hardanger and Telemark are drier and more continental. The far north, at Tromso and in the county of Finnmark, is subarctic, and the Finnmarksvidda plateau is the coldest part of mainland Norway.

Temperatures

Bergen averages about 3 degrees in January and 15 in July, with rain on more days than almost anywhere in Europe. Tromso, well inside the Arctic Circle, averages about -4 in January and 12 in July, yet its coast stays ice-free all winter. The inland Finnmark plateau drops to about -15 in January, and these figures show how unusual the maritime influence along the coast really is.

Rainfall

Bergen takes around 2,200 millimetres a year, and the inner fjords rather less, at about 1,000. The south-east, around Oslo and the Mjosa basin, receives 700 to 900. Finnmark is much drier, under 500 millimetres, and the eastern interior of the country is the driest part of all. Most of the rain arrives with winter storms out of the west.

When to go

Late June to August is the main season, with long daylight and the midnight sun north of the Arctic Circle. Winter brings downhill skiing at Geilo, Hemsedal and Lillehammer, and the northern lights are best on clear dark nights from September to March.