Christmas music, Christmas food, Christmas lights, Christmas table, Christmas calendar and Christmas snow. There is a lot that needs to be done in order for the Christmas spirit to remain. But it is by no means certain that one should complain that the snow will spoil the Christmas spirit this year. – We are in a period of unstable weather and a lot of change between mild weather and snow. This type of weather will continue in the future, says state meteorologist Eirin Walstad Ristesund Christmas plans depend on a particular type of weather, the meteorologist advises to follow the weather forecast when Christmas is even closer. – As of now, we really don’t know much more than that the weather is unstable, and that it could quickly become a wet Christmas in Western Norway and in Trøndelag. At least on the coast. Whether it rains or snows on Christmas Eve depends on where the low pressure hits. Biggest chance of snow in the north In the inner regions and Aust-Finnmark, it is almost guaranteed to be a white Christmas, according to the meteorologist. Here, the temperatures will be on the minus side until Christmas and throughout the Christmas week. In Tromsø, winter has come to stay this year. Photo: Frida Marie Flatland / news The precipitation, which may come trickling in, comes as snow. Although there is a little more probability of temperatures on the plus side, and rain on the coast of West Finnmark and down towards Troms, there is still an imminent probability of a white Christmas. – Overall for the northernmost county, the outlook for a white Christmas is good, says Ristesund. In Nordland, on the other hand, the warning is more uncertain. The further south in Nordland you go, the greater the chance of rain. But the weather forecast for the county is still very uncertain. For example, temperatures in Bodø are expected to be between -5 and 5 degrees. – There is really a 50/50 percent chance of snow and rain. Wet along the coast On the coast of Trøndelag and down towards Møre and Romsdal, Vestland and Rogaland, one should probably prepare for rain and temperatures on the positive side, according to the meteorologist. – I would perhaps have kept my expectations at a moderate level, and rather been positively surprised if I were to get periods of good weather at Christmas, says the meteorologist. In the mountains, however, the precipitation can come as snow. Last year, it was eliminated in approximately the whole of Sogn og Fjordane. Here in Øvregata in Sandane. Photo: Malene Laura Solheim Drier in the East In Agder, temperatures are expected to be slightly lower than in the West, but the snow still needs to be looked at further. At least if you live along the coast. – Along the coast, I don’t think I would count on a white Christmas here, but once you are up in the cabin area, the likelihood of frost is much greater, says Ristesund. There is still less chance of precipitation here than in Western Norway. Slightly milder weather is also expected in the East, and what is now lying as snow will quickly melt away towards Christmas. Last year, practically all of Norway was covered in snow on Christmas Eve. Here Storehaugen in Sogndal municipality is pictured in December last year. Photo: Sondre Dalaker Towards the Christmas weekend, there is still a greater chance of temperatures on the negative side, also in the lowlands in the East and in the vicinity of the Oslofjord. – The chances of precipitation are quite low, so I rather see that there is a greater chance of it raining and getting cold. Further north in Austlandet and inland, there is a greater chance that the snow that lies will remain and that the precipitation will come as snow. Less chance of a white Christmas now than before Based on the normal from 1991 to 2020, you have the greatest chance of a white Christmas in the north, in the mountains and in the interior. Along the coast of southern Norway, there is less than a 25% chance of a white Christmas. – The positive thing is that nobody has a zero percent chance, chuckles state meteorologist Julie Solsvik Vågane. The meteorologists have looked at the possibilities for a white Christmas, based on the normal for 1991 to 2020. Graphics: Meteorological Institute But statistics are statistics, and not anything conclusive. The climate has become warmer and in many places the chances of a white Christmas have decreased by between 20 and 30 percentage points from the previous normal period – 1961 to 1990. – For the coastal area, there is a big change. In Vestland, the chance of a white Christmas has decreased by 20 percentage points for a station in Etne, and 30 percentage points for a station in Kvinnherad, says Vågane. Published 13.12.2024, at 18.51
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