January was milder than usual in nearly all of the country

According to the statistics of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, January was milder than usual in nearly all of the country. The month's average temperature was lower than usual only in the municipalities of Enontekiö and Utsjoki. January's average temperature varied from 0...-4 degrees Celsius in the southern parts of the country to below -13 degrees in Northern Lapland. The maximum temperature deviation in comparison to a regular January was measured in the eastern parts of the country, in Kainuu and Koillismaa, where the month was milder by 3–5 degrees.

January's lowest temperature, -36.8°C, was recorded at the Nellim observation station in Inari on 24 January. The highest temperature, +6.9°C, was recorded at the Jomalaby station in Jomala and at the Bogskär station in Kökar on 25 January.

Generally speaking, January's precipitation levels were either regular or higher than regular. The rainiest parts of the country were Uusimaa and parts of North Karelia, whereas the western coast and Northern Lapland had the lowest precipitation. The highest precipitation, 81.6 mm, was recorded in Koli, Lieksa, and the lowest, 18.5 mm, was recorded in Nuorgam, Utsjoki.

At the end of the month, the areas of Enontekiö and Kittilä had the highest levels of snow, nearly one metre. The highest level of snow, 98 cm, was recorded in Kaaresuvanto, Enontekiö. There were only a few centimetres of snow in many areas in the southern part of the country at the end of January.

Further information:

Weather statistics from the Climate Service tel. +358 (0)600 1 0601 (€4.01/min + local charges)Weather forecasts from the meteorologist on duty 24/7 tel. +358 (0)600 1 0600 (€3.85/min + local charges)

January weather statistics (in Finnish): http://ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/tammikuu

Meteorologists tweet about the weather on Twitter: @meteorologit