Best Time to Visit Finland

Finland (Michael Ranzau)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
On this page, you will find information about the climate and the best time to visit Finland. We created climate tables and charts for the locations of Helsinki, Lappeenranta und Oulu. These contain details about temperatures, precipitation and more.

Furthermore, we analyzed all climate data and provide a recommendation about which months are best to visit Finland for your holiday.

Climate Overview

Thermometer Symbol -15 °C to 22 °C
Waves Symbol 1 °C to 17 °C
Rainy Cloud Symbol 0.753.23 in (6 – 20 Days of Rain)
Average Annual Temperature is between 2 °C (Oulu) and 6 °C (Helsinki)
Show temperatures in degree

Geographical location

In the north of Europe is the Republic of Finland. About 5.4 million people live on an area of about 210000 square miles. Thus, the population density is only 16 inhabitants per square kilometre.

The Scandinavian country borders Russia, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic Sea. The capital of Finland is Helsinki. 92 percent of the population speak Finnish, 6 percent speak Swedish. Both are official languages.

Climate in Finland

Beware of the Reindeer (Timo Newton-Syms)  [flickr.com]  CC BY-SA 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources' There are several climate zones in Finland. In the west and southwest one has a maritime climate, in the northern and eastern areas rather a continental climate. The capital Helsinki is located in southern Finland. Maximum temperatures of 20 °C can be reached here. In winter, temperatures drop to minus 7 °C in January and February.

In the interior, however, you can feel the continental climate. In summer, maximum temperatures of up to 30 °C can be reached here. The coastal areas have lower temperatures. In the polar region the sun does not set in summer for 10 days, temperatures of more than 25 °C are to be expected here. The winter months in Finland are very cold.

In the south the sea freezes over and the whole country remains snow-covered in winter. Frosty temperatures of –15 °C are not uncommon.

Best Time to Visit Finland: Overview

JanuaryJan
MaximumMax.1 °C
Water max. 2 °C
FebruaryFeb
MaximumMax.2 °C
Water max. 1 °C
MarchMar
MaximumMax. 2 °C
Water max. 1 °C
AprilApr
MaximumMax. 8 °C
Water max. 2 °C
MayMay
MaximumMax. 15 °C
Water max. 5 °C
JuneJun
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Helsinki
Lappeenranta
Oulu
JulyJul
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Helsinki
Lappeenranta
Oulu
AugustAug
Best time to traveltime
PerfectPerf. climate in
Helsinki
Lappeenranta
Oulu
SeptemberSep
MaximumMax. 15 °C
Water max. 14 °C
OctoberOct
MaximumMax. 9 °C
Water max. 11 °C
NovemberNov
MaximumMax. 4 °C
Water max. 7 °C
DecemberDec
MaximumMax. 1 °C
Water max. 3 °C

When to travel to Finland?


The dreamlike Finnish summer fascinates travellers year after year. Short nights create plenty of light and time for exploring the breathtaking nature. The summer months of June to August are the best time to travel in Finland. During this time, there are also the famous polar days when the sun does not set.

Also the winters attract more and more tourists, from December to April many people travel to Finland to experience the world-famous northern lights and the polar winter. The northern region of Lapland in particular attracts many travellers. The capital Helsinki can be visited all year round. But if you want to explore the city in good weather and do without a winter jacket, you should trust in the best travel time.

Best Time to Visit the Regions

Find the best time to visit the regions (Finland) in the following overview.

LocationBest Time to Travel
HelsinkiJune, July, and August
LappeenrantaJune, July, and August
OuluJune, July, and August

Climate Charts Finland

In the following, you will find climate charts for the regions.

Furthermore, there are some charts you can use for quick comparison of climate between the regions.

Show Climate Chart for    

Helsinki

Climate Chart Helsinki
Show temperatures in degree

Lappeenranta

Climate Chart Lappeenranta
Show temperatures in degree

Oulu

Climate Chart Oulu
Show temperatures in degree

Day Temperatures

Show temperatures in degree

Night Temperatures

Show temperatures in degree

Average Temperatures

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Precipitation

Hours of Sunshine per Day

Source of Data: German Weather Service (Offenbach) and Wikipedia

Climate Tables Finland

In the following, you will find some climate tables for Finland, containing information about Temperatures, Precipitation, Water Temperatures, and Hours of Sunshine.
Show climate table for    

Temperatures, Precipitation in Helsinki (Finland)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day Temperature-1°-2°14°19°22°20°15°
Night Temperature-7°-7°-4°11°14°13°-1°-5°
Water Temperature15°17°14°10°
Precipitation (inch)2.051.421.51.261.462.242.483.152.22.992.762.28
Rainy days191715111114121514161820
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Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Helsinki is 6 °C.

For comparison: London 11 °C, NYC 12 °C, LA 17.9 °C

Warmest month: July (17.9 °C)
Coldest month: February (-4.7 °C)

The maximum water temperature in Helsinki is 17 °C. Comfortable bathing is possible at water temperatures of about 21 °C.

Months with water temperature of at least 17 °C (Limited bathing is possible):
August

Precipitation
Overall annual precipitation: 25.79 inch on 182 rainy days

For comparison: London 24.06 in, NYC 41.57 in, LA 12.01 in

There is no rainy season (months with more than 6.9 in of precipitation).

Months that have possible snowfall: January, February, March, April, October, November, and December

Temperatures, Precipitation, Sunshine in Lappeenranta (Finland)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day Temperature-7°-6°-0°15°20°21°19°13°-4°
Night Temperature-13°-12°-8°-2°10°12°11°-3°-9°
Precipitation (inch)1.461.141.31.221.221.972.643.232.82.522.281.97
Rainy days1088778101211121312
Hours of Sunshine134699874211
Show temperatures in degree
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Lappeenranta is 3.6 °C.

Warmest month: July (16.7 °C)
Coldest month: January (-9.4 °C)

Precipitation
Overall annual precipitation: 23.74 inch on 118 rainy days

There is no rainy season (months with more than 6.9 in of precipitation).

Months that have possible snowfall: all except June, July, August, and September

Sunshine
As our climate table shows, June is the sunniest month with an average of 8.9 hours of sunshine per day. Over the year, there are 4.5 hours of sunshine per day on average.

Temperatures, Precipitation, Sunshine in Oulu (Finland)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day Temperature-7°-7°-2°12°18°20°18°12°-1°-5°
Night Temperature-15°-15°-10°-3°11°10°-6°-12°
Precipitation (inch)1.020.830.910.751.181.692.242.561.891.651.221.1
Rainy days87667891010999
Hours of Sunshine1246910974210
Show temperatures in degree
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Oulu is 2 °C.

Warmest month: July (16 °C)
Coldest month: January (-11.1 °C)

Precipitation
Overall annual precipitation: 17.05 inch on 98 rainy days

There is no rainy season (months with more than 6.9 in of precipitation).

Months that have possible snowfall: all except June, July, and August

Sunshine
As our climate table shows, June is the sunniest month with an average of 9.6 hours of sunshine per day. Over the year, there are 4.6 hours of sunshine per day on average.

Highlights and Attractions


The capital Helsinki in particular has a lot to offer culturally. The cityscape is very much influenced by classicism. Helsinki Cathedral is an absolute landmark and highlight of the city. Suomenlinna Fortress was built in 1748 on several offshore islands. It can be reached from the market place of the city by a small ferry. In 1991, the fortress was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Popular Activities

More attractions

Helsinki Card City | Nuuksio National Park: Half-Day Trip from Helsinki | Helsinki Panorama Coach Tour | Helsinki City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket | Helsinki: City Highlights 1.5-Hour Archipelago Cruise | Helsinki Card Region | Helsinki: Helsinki and Suomenlinna 5-Hour Sightseeing Tour |

Current Weather and Forecast

Current Weather in Helsinki
light intensity drizzle     light intensity drizzle, 1.7 °C
Clouds: 100 %       Wind: 10 mph SW
Air Pressure: 1030 hPa       Humidity: 93 %
Last updated: 8th Feb 2023, 04:20 am
The next days …
8th Feb 20239th Feb 202310th Feb 202311th Feb 202312th Feb 202313th Feb 2023
overcast clouds1 °C to 2 °Covercast clouds1 °C to 2 °Csnow-2 °C to 1 °Csky is clear-4 °C to -1 °Crain and snow-1 °C to 2 °Cfew clouds-0 °C to 5 °C
1 °C to 2 °C1 °C to 2 °C-2 °C to 1 °C-4 °C to -1 °C-1 °C to 2 °C-0 °C to 5 °C
Clouds: 95 %Clouds: 100 %Clouds: 99 %Clouds: 8 %Clouds: 100 %Clouds: 13 %
No PrecipitationNo Precipitation0.24 in of snowNo Precipitation0.01 in of rainNo Precipitation
Weather information provided by OpenWeatherMap. (CC BY-SA)
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Northern Lights (Timo Newton-Syms)  [flickr.com]  CC BY-SA 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
reindeer man feeding the reindeer in Lapland (Heather Sunderland)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
Uutela (Timo Newton-Syms)  [flickr.com]  CC BY-SA 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'

Finland in fast motion

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