March weather milder than usual

Mild weather at the beginning of the year continued in March. March weather was unusually mild in southern Finland, and exceptionally mild on the southern coast. Southwest Finland received more rain than usual.

Photo: Eija Vallinheimo

According to the statistics of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the average temperature in March varied from +3 in the archipelago to approximately -6 degrees in northern Lapland. Compared to the statistical reference period 1981-2010, the average temperature in the southern part of the country was just under four degrees Celsius, in the central part of the country about three degrees Celsius and in the north about two degrees Celsius higher than usual. In southern and central Finland, the average temperature of the month was unusually high, even exceptionally high on the southern coast compared to long-term statistics.

The highest temperature in March was 12.6°C, recorded in Hirvivaara, Mäntsälä on 26 March. The lowest temperature was -31.8°C, recorded in Vuotso and Lokka, Sodankylä on 1 April.

Unusually rainy in southwest Finland

Rainfall in March was normal or slightly higher than usual. There was an unusually high amount of precipitation in southwest Finland and in Northern Lapland, whereas in the western part of Northern Ostrobothnia the precipitation was lower than usual. The month's smallest precipitation, 11.1 millimetres, was measured at the Pelso observation station in Vaala. The month's highest precipitation, 81.1 millimetres, was measured at the Kilpisjärvi village centre observation station in Enontekiö. The largest daily rainfall in March, 28.5 mm, was also measured at the same station.

At the beginning of March, a large part of the country had a snow cover, but the thin layer in the southern and western parts of the country gradually melted away. In large parts of southern and central Finland, March ended snow-free. In the area from Koillismaa in Kainuu to Lapland, there was a great deal of snow. In a large part of Lapland, the snow depth was unusually or even exceptionally high at the end of the month.

Further information:

Weather statistics from the climate service, tel. 0600 1 0601 (EUR 4,01/min + local network charge)Weather forecasts from the meteorologist on duty 24h/day tel. 0600 1 0600 (EUR 3,85/min + local network charge)