“This must be the coldest Christmas in a lifetime”, you may have thought or said today.
You are not wrong. Several places in the country have had their coldest Christmas Eve for several years.
In the far north of our long country, there is apparently no cold record this year. Nevertheless, the extremes of today’s temperatures are precisely here.
MERRY CHRISTMAS: Merry Christmas Norway on TV 2 with weather presenter Ane Nyrerød. Photo: Espen Solli / TV2
– At six o’clock this morning, Troms and Finnmark had both the lowest and highest temperature: minus 30 degrees on Finnmarksvidda and plus 2 degrees along the coast of Finnmark, just north of Hammerfest, says TV 2’s forecaster Ane Nyrerød.
Weather change
From Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, we will have a weather change in the country, as a result of a low pressure sailing north, over from Scotland.
This is what meteorologist on duty Isak Slettebø in StormGeo tells TV 2.
– Now it is minus 30 degrees in the mountains, but it will be at least 20 degrees milder, says Slettebø.
This means in northern Norway that the weather will remain fairly stable, but with somewhat higher temperatures.
In southern Norway, especially south of Stad and Dovre, there will be, in addition to mild weather, a good deal of precipitation.
– But there can still be sub-zero temperatures on the ground. Even when snow has turned to rain, precipitation can freeze to ice; then there can be very slippery roads and difficult driving conditions, says Slettebø to TV 2.
MILD WEATHER: Cars in the snowy weather on National Highway 4 (Rv4) near Kjul in Nittedal. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB
This mild weather with rain will be fairly similar on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, explains Slettebø.
– On the third day of Christmas, the low pressure, which is moving north, will have passed southern Norway. Then the cold comes in with the wind from the north-west, he says.
But:
– It will not be as cold as on Christmas Eve, which is one of the coldest days of the year.
HAKADAL: Winter weather with snow and low sun at Hakadal church on Christmas Eve morning. Photo: Paul Kleiven / NTB
The districts
Overview of the weather in the counties on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
In Trøndelag and Møre and Romsdal it will be cloudy and rainy, with snow above 600-800 meters in altitude in inland areas. The most rain will occur in Sunnmøre, and less precipitation in Nordmøre and in Trøndelag.
– A cold morning in the whole area, but rising temperatures later in the day.
Western Norway south of Stad the weather will be the same as in Trøndelag and Møre and Romsdal. But with the risk of rain freezing on the ground, especially in the first part of the day, in some places.
– Even if milder weather arrives, the minus degrees will be able to linger in sheltered depressions, of which there are many in Western Norway. There is therefore a risk of rain freezing on the ground, especially in the first part of the day.
Southern and Eastern Norway will get snow in the morning. It will rain along the coast of Agder, and the precipitation will move northwards in Eastern Norway throughout the morning.
– Lowland rain as far north as Mjøsa from the afternoon, with snow above 300-500 meters in altitude from Oslo and northwards. Further south, it will rain at least up to 800 metres.
CAUTION: Winter and mild weather can create challenges in traffic. Everyone who is going out for a drive is encouraged to drive carefully and slow down. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB
In northern Norway snow showers will also affect Nordland and Troms on Christmas Day, also along the coast of Finnmark. Generally little wind, but north-northwest small gales on the coast of northernmost Nordland and northwards.
– Mainly cloudy, but clear of the starry sky in Nordland and on the Finnmarksvidda, writes StormGeo in its weather analysis.
Landslide danger
In a number of places in the country, there is an orange danger warning, as there is a significant risk of avalanches.
On Saturday, a high risk of avalanches is expected in the Indre Troms region, where a red danger warning has been issued.
– Travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Landslides can hit landslide-prone roads and buildings, informs yr.no.
