What is the weather like in Svalbard?
Meteorology. Average summer temperatures on Svalbard range from 3 to 7 °C (37.4 to 44.6 °F) in July, and winter temperatures from −13 to −20 °C (8.6 to −4.0 °F) in January. The highest temperature ever recorded was 23.0 °C (73.4 °F) in July 2020 and the coldest was −46.3 °C (−51.3 °F) in March 1986.
What is Svalbard like in winter?
And it is cold. So cold that the months from mid-October to May are referred to as winter months. Yes, Svalbard has a long winter that lasts about 7 months. If you come to Svalbard in December, you’ll experience a polar night with no daylight at all.
What is the hottest month in Svalbard?
July
July is the warmest month, with average temperatures of 3 – 7 °C (37.4 – 44.6 °F). The Midnight Sun’s constant daylight helps maximise wildlife sightings.
What type of cold environment is Svalbard?
Svalbard is classed as a cold environment; temperatures rarely exceed 10°C, even in summer, and can fall below -20°C in winter. Summer temperatures average 3 to 7°C and winter temperatures average −13 to −20°C. Glaciers cover around 60% of the land, and barren rock or tundra is the terrain elsewhere.
Is Svalbard always snowy?
Winter is long (going from October to May) and freezing, with frequent snowfalls, usually in the form of light snow. April and May are still freezing months, but with 24 hours of daylight, they are very different from the dark winter months.
How cold is the water in Svalbard?
Sea water temperature throughout Svalbard is not yet warm enough for swimming and does not exceed 20°C. The warmest sea temperature in Svalbard today is 0.3°C (in Longyearbyen), and the coldest water temperature is 0.3°C (Longyearbyen).
How long is summer in Svalbard?
Summer, from June to mid-September, is cold: in June and September, the temperature is just above freezing, while in July and August, the warmest months, the average is around 5.5/6.5 °C (42/43.5 °F)….Climate – Svalbard (Norway)
| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|---|---|
| May | 2 | 36 |
| June | 3 | 37 |
| July | 5 | 41 |
| August | 6 | 43 |
Why is there no sun in Svalbard?
The earth is rotating at a tilted axis relative to the sun, and during the summer months, the North Pole is angled towards our star. That’s why, for several weeks, the sun never sets above the Arctic Circle. Svalbard is the place in Norway where the midnight sun occurs for the longest period.
How long is winter in Svalbard?
How much snow does Svalbard get?
The snowy period of the year lasts for 8.8 months, from September 11 to June 6, with a sliding 31-day snowfall of at least 1.0 inches. The month with the most snow at Svalbard Airport, Longyear is March, with an average snowfall of 9.2 inches.
Is Svalbard always dark?
We refer to the dark season in Svalbard as the “Polar Night”. This two-and-a-half-month period lasts from mid-November to late January. The sun is at least 6 degrees below the horizon during this period and it’s pitch-dark 24/7.