Forecast points to a wintry winter in Finland

Finland could face distinctly wintry conditions next winter if the latest seasonal forecast proves accurate, Yle reports. Ari-Juhani Punkka, a meteorologist at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, says the forecast contains unusually strong signals pointing to wintry weather, particularly in January and February.

The forecast indicates that low-pressure systems would travel south of Finland, leaving the country on their colder side. This would typically bring northerly, north-easterly or easterly winds, while milder air masses remained well south of Finland.

“It is very rare to see signals this strong in forecasts extending six months ahead to February,” Punkka says.

The pattern is linked to El Niño, a natural phenomenon that recurs every few years and affects weather in different parts of the world. When a strong El Niño is under way, wintry weather patterns are somewhat more likely in Europe during January and February.

Wintry conditions would not necessarily mean severe cold or exceptionally deep snow. Finland could instead experience several days of overcast skies with light snowfall and relatively mild frosts. In another scenario, low-pressure systems could draw cold air from Siberia and inland Russia into Finland, causing temperatures to fall considerably.

The forecast suggests that extended periods of temperatures well above freezing would be unlikely. However, Punkka cautions that forecasts extending six months into the future are not especially reliable. Last winter, for example, a seasonal forecast correctly predicted a cold period, but it arrived a month later than forecast.