Norway sees 26-degree temperature gap as south basks in summer heat while north braces for snow

The temperature difference between Norway’s warmest and coldest regions reached nearly 27°C on Thursday, with southern areas enjoying summer-like warmth while the north faces snowstorms and freezing winds, reports Dagbladet.

On Thursday afternoon, Lier in Buskerud and Landvik in Agder recorded 21.3°C, while Oslo hit 20°C—officially qualifying as a “Nordic summer day.” The warmth is expected to continue Friday, though Oslo may fall just short of 20°C again, according to state meteorologist Anne Solveig Andersen.

Meanwhile, Sjufjellet in Troms registered -5.6°C, though its 1,000-meter elevation contributed to the chill. A polar low-pressure system is bringing heavy snow and gale-force winds to Finnmark’s coast, with warnings of difficult driving conditions. By the weekend, Mid-Norway—including areas as far south as Molde—could see 5–25 cm of snow, with up to 20 cm in mountainous regions.

“It will be strong winds and intense snow showers. They’ll really feel it,” said meteorologist Rafael Escobar Løvdahl. Andersen confirmed snow alerts for Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal on Saturday, noting the contrast: “Tromsø and Alta will hover around freezing Friday, while southern regions stay warm.”

She emphasized that such spring swings are normal, with cold Arctic air clashing with warmer southern currents. “When cold air pushes south and warm air sits in the south, you get big differences,” Andersen explained.

In Oslo, residents like Gabriele Skurdenyte (16), Live Garfjeld (15), and Rachel Ailin (15) relished the sunshine at Sørenga, calling the weather “perfect.” Garfjeld, originally from Tromsø, joked, “It’s much better here than up north right now.” Ailin added, “I seriously couldn’t handle snow now—that would be rough.”

Others, like Liv Reinsviki-Drange (26) and Anneli Ravlo (28), enjoyed ice cream in the sun, with Reinsviki-Drange noting, “It couldn’t be better.” Both were relieved to avoid the northern chill.

Despite the stark divide, Andersen reassured that the wintry blast in the north is temporary: “Spring will return soon.”