Norwegian Weather

So, its always cold in Norway with snow and ice the whole year round... isn't that true????

Well, No, is the answer.

But this is what we are taught in school and the media, about the harsh Norwegian winter, the life in the far North of Norway which is in the Arctic circle, with the Sami people, reindeer, children going to school on skis etc.

But in reality, Norway generally has the full seasons with a warm summer, beautiful autumn, cold winter and fresh spring. With temperatures in summer reaching into the 30s (Celsius) and in the winter to -20s (Celsius) it was great to experience what the seasons should be, rather than the traditional English "grey" for eight months of the year.

I worked in the dead of the Norwegian winter... outside!!! and it was about -15 (Celsius) each day, so I experienced that first hand. On the other hand, I also swam in the Oslo fjord in the summer and it was gorgeously warm, so you can see both sides of the coin.

My first Norwegian winter was beautiful to behold with snow covering the trees and houses, like a typical Christmas card photo. And the change from this to the warm vibrant summer was spectacular. I am only used to eight months of solid grey skies and rain in the UK and the odd warm day in summer so seeing the seasons like this was amazing.

I wil be placing video and photos of the Norwegian summer in 2009 when I next visit the country, for evidence of how warm the country actually is.

However, the following movie, which I found on Youtube, shows what the snow can be like in certain places in Norway:

Norwegian Wood...

Houses in Norway are generally built from wood (mostly pine) as there is an abundance of trees in the country. Also, wood holds the heat longer than stone, so Norwegian homes coupled with real fires are extremely warm and comfortable in the winter.

One downside is that their homes are then very flamable and if there is a lightening storm, the fire brigade are kept busy!

The Right Clothes

There is a saying in Norway "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing" which is very true.

People complaining about the cold, generally have not dressed correctly for the climate and the same goes for those who feel hot or wind swept. So you must buy the correct clothing for the weather as you can not go out in the Norwegian winter just wearing a leather jacket and expect to feel warm (yes I did that).

Its pretty much common sense, as although an umbrella will pretty much do for most of the English seasonal weather, you will need to equip yourself with a warm clothes and shoes depending on what you are doing, or unless you intend to spend most of the Norwegian winter indoors.

Clothes shops are in abundance in Norway, so you can always buy clothes when you are over there as generally they have been designed with the Norwegian climate in mind.

Be Prepared

So, be prepared for the climate, but make sure you experience the cold weather along with the warm as otherwise you are not making the most out of the experience.