Lapland’s winters are marked by snowfall, extremely low temperatures, and the Northern Lights against a night sky. Christmas is a season, not just a single day, since Lapland is where Santa Claus resides.
Many people think of Finland as being frigid. with good reason! The northern hemisphere is covered in thick, white snow for almost half of the year, and every other cold night, auroras light up the night sky. Who could forget Christmas and the cheery old elf, Santa Claus, of course?
The tallest mountains in Finland typically see their first courageous snowflakes of the season in the fall. Snow starts to cover the Arctic from north to south as the days get shorter and colder. Snowfall varies from year to year. However, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, there is a greater than 90% possibility of experiencing a White Christmas every year in Finnish Lapland. Depending on the place and the time of year, temperatures vary substantially. Rovaniemi’s Christmastime temperatures could range from -20°C to +5°C. However, the likelihood that you will experience negative temperatures as low as -30°C during the harshest parts of winter increases the further north you go.
When the weather and the snow spiral together like a frozen tango, Lapland is prepared for winter. 200 days a year on average see snowfall, with late January and February seeing the most. In northern Lapland, this equates to 50–75 centimeters of snow, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Around the Arctic Circle, 25 to 50 cm of snow is to be expected on the ground. Close to the Arctic Circle, Posio and Syöte merit special attention. The most snow-covered areas of Finland are perfect for a thrilling ski trip, a thrilling snowmobile adventure, or a fierce snowball fight!
Lapland is the only Arctic region on earth that can compete with it for the best snowplaying. Cross-country ski across vast old-growth forests like the ancestors of the Finns. Alternately, go skiing at Finland’s biggest ski resort. You should take your board to the backslopes. Use your snowshoes to hike around the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park. Don’t forget to make a pit stop at an isolated lodge to have a picnic and light a fire!
Try your hand… or foot… on the ice if you prefer clear, transparent ice to compacted snow. There are ice skating rinks all around Lapland since the rivers and lakes are usually covered in snow.
Another common method to, well, break the ice is ice swimming. However, ice swimming in Lapland is a smaller, more private affair than the mad old men who swim the frigid English Channel. You don a knitted cap before slowly wading into a frozen river or lake that has been turned into a pool. Enjoy it a little. Watch how many new swear words you can utter while immersed in +4 degree water.