2024 warmer than usual in Finland
Although last year began with colder weather than usual, from May onwards the remainder of the year was warmer than the norm. The average temperature for the whole country was ca. 4.0 degrees, which is 1.1 degrees more than the long-term average for 1991‒2020. The average temperature for the year varied from around +8 degrees in the Southwest Archipelago to about -1 degrees in Northwestern Lapland.
The largest deviation from the long-term average was in Northern Lapland, where it was 1.7 degrees warmer than the average for the reference period. The annual average temperature was exceptionally high in this area, and at many observation stations the annual average was the warmest in the station's history. It was an exceptionally warm year in many places in the southern part of the country, and in other parts of the country it was also an unusually warm year.
Only January and April were colder than usual throughout the country. All other months were warmer than the norm. From May onwards, there were eight consecutive months when it was warmer than usual. September was once again record warm, following a record warm September in 2023.
A long period that is warmer than usual is also evident in the accumulated thermal time sum: The thermal time sum in 2024 has been exceptional in almost the entire country. With the exception of the western part of the country, observation station-specific records have been recorded at nearly every station, and even in the west of the country, coastal and sea stations have seen record temperatures.
Last year’s highest temperature was 31.4 degrees on 28 June in both Savilahti in Kuopio and Asemantausta in Heinola. The lowest temperature of the year, -44.3 degrees, was recorded on 5 January at Enontekiö Airport.
More precipitation than the norm in the west, less than usual in the east
In a large part of the country, the annual precipitation rate was higher than usual. It was even unusually or exceptionally rainy in some western parts of the country. There was a more even area in the eastern part of the country, where annual precipitation was below the averages for the reference period at all observation stations. February and April were the year's rainy months, while it rained far less than usual in May.
The highest annual precipitation rate was observed at the Tuorila observation station in Merikarvia, where it rained 921.4 mm. Total precipitation was lowest in Kevo, Utsjoki, where it was 408.6 mm. The highest amount of precipitation per day, 70.6 mm, was recorded at Kokemäki's Rausenkulma on 10 August.
The greatest snow depth for the year, 127 cm, was recorded in Paljakka in Puolanka on 8 April.
Snow cover varied in December
The average temperature in December 2024 varied between approximately +3 degrees Celsius in the Southwestern Archipelago and -11 degrees in Northern Lapland. In the northern part of the country, the deviation from the average temperature for the 1991–2020 reference period varied from cold to warm, but the average temperature was still mostly normal. Elsewhere throughout the country, December temperatures were between 0.5 and 5 °C higher than average. The lowest temperature of the month, -38.2 degrees, was recorded at the Tulppio observation station in Savukoski on 15 December. The highest temperature of the month, +9.2 degrees, which was recorded at the Pori Airport on 2 December.
Precipitation in December was higher than usual in the southern and western parts of the country and in Central and Northern Lapland. A strip from North Karelia to Tornio was the area that lagged behind normal precipitation levels the most. The greatest amount of precipitation for the month, 115.4 mm, was measured in Koivuniemi in Vironlahti. The lowest amount of precipitation, 18 mm, was recorded in Hailuoto's Keskikylä. The greatest amount of precipitation in a single day was 33.1 millimetres, which was measured in Virolahti's Koivuniemi on 19 December.
The ground remained covered in snow throughout December mainly in Lapland. After mid-December, almost all of Finland gradually got a snow cover, but towards the end of the month it melted on the country's southern coasts. At the end of the month, there were 0-10 centimetres of snow in the south of the country, 10-25 centimetres in the central part and 20-60 centimetres in the northern Finland. The deepest snow in December was measured on 30 December in Enontekiö's Kilpisjärvi where the snow depth was 98 centimetres.
In December, 0–40 hours of sunshine were recorded, which is close to the typical number in December.
Further information:
Weather statistics from the Climate Service, tel. +358 600 1 0601 (€ 4.06/min + local network fee)
Meteorologists use the word exceptional when the statistical likelihood of the occurrence of a weather phenomenon is on average three times or fewer in 100 years. A phenomenon is seen as rare when it occurs less frequently than once every ten years on average.