Many parts of Finland will see sunshine on Friday for the first time this month.
Skies have been overcast across Finland so far this month. Image: Jari Kovalainen / Yle
Finland will see a mixed bag of weather conditions over the coming days, with plunging temperatures and hazardous driving conditions on the horizon — but also some rare December sunshine.
Heavy snowfall is predicted for northern and central parts of the country on Wednesday, with 15 centimetres forecast for Finnish Lapland and 5-10 centimeters of snow set to fall in Central Finland.
This has prompted the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI) to issue a warning of dangerous driving conditions for northern and central areas on Wednesday and continuing into Thursday.
Southern and western parts will see scattered snow and sleet showers on Wednesday and Thursday.
According to Yle meteorologist Aleksi Lohtander, this low-pressure front will move eastwards on Thursday evening, bringing cold but clear conditions to much of the country on Friday.
Temperatures during the day on Friday will range from -4 degrees Celsius in the south to -16 degrees in Finnish Lapland — but many parts of the country will see sunshine for the first time this month.
“In the south, Friday may feel quite chilly compared to recent days. It may be a couple of degrees below freezing, but the wind will make it feel even colder,” Lohtander said.
The cold but clear conditions are also expected to continue into the weekend, Lohtander added, with daytime temperatures in the south falling to about -5 degrees.
Looking ahead, Lohtander said there is a good chance that southern parts of the country will see snowfall in the early part of next week — but the outlook is unclear.
“It’s not impossible that snow could reach all the way to the south then,” he said.
A return to plus degree temperatures in the latter part of next week suggests that Christmas week will be milder than usual, Lohtander noted.
