Climate - Denmark

Index

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• Introduction
• The seasons - Copenhagen
• Sea temperature
• When to go
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Denmark, a European country located north of Germany and belonging to Scandinavia, there is a temperate climate, cold in winter and mild or pleasantly warm in summer.
Although it is located at high latitudes, it is affected by ocean currents, so it is not as cold as one might think. In fact, clouds, humidity, rain and wind are predominant.
The country is small and flat, so there are little climatic differences between the areas, however, the western coasts of the Jutland peninsula are milder, windier and rainier than the rest of the country.

Average temperatures are around 1/2 °C (34/36 °F) in January and February and 17/18 °C (63/64 °F) in July and August.

Precipitation is not abundant, but it's frequent and well distributed throughout the year because Atlantic depressions occur in all seasons. However, it is moderate in the west-central part of the Jutland peninsula, where it reaches or exceeds 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) per year (see Vestervig, Esbjerg), while it gradually drops in the center and east, to 600/650 mm (23.5/25.5 in) per year, and even below 500 mm (20 in) in Bornholm.
Snowfalls occur from November to the first half of April. In one year, there are 20/25 days with snow. Even in winter, the ground can be snow-free for long periods, as is also the case in southern Sweden and on the Norwegian west coast.

Denmark is not a very sunny country, however, the east is sunnier than the west, and in summer there is a good number of sunshine hours, also thanks to the length of the days. On average, there are about 1,750 hours of sunshine per year in western Jutland and 2,000 hours on the island of Bornholm.

The seasons

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Winter in Denmark is cold, with an average temperature of January and February just above freezing (that is, zero degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit). The days are very short (in December, the sun sets at 3:00 in the afternoon), and temperature fluctuations between day and night are little. On the western coast and on the small islands, winter is a little milder, with minimum temperatures around freezing, but with a lot of wind, especially in the north. Apart from that, temperatures are fairly uniform across the country.
During winter, the sky is often overcast, the wind can be intense, and precipitation is quite frequent, although usually not abundant.
Anyway, in this season, weather conditions vary greatly depending on the situation. When the westerlies prevail, temperatures can remain a few degrees above freezing even at night, and it rains even in winter.
On the other hand, when the country is reached by easterly currents brought by the Siberian High, the temperature suddenly drops, and may plunge several degrees below freezing, down to about -20 °C (-4 °F) in the worst moments. These cold periods, which are becoming rarer due to global warming, may last for a few days, usually less so than in Sweden or Finland.

Spring is initially cold, and remains cool still in May: the maximum temperature in Copenhagen is on average about 12 °C (53 °F) in April and 16 °C (61 °F) in May. However, spring is the relatively driest season of the year.

In summer, the temperatures are usually pleasant: highs in July and August are about 22 °C (72 °F) in Copenhagen and in other major cities (Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense etc.), while they are a bit lower, around 20 °C (68 °F), on the western coasts bordering the North Sea. Night temperatures are pretty cool, around 13/15 °C (55/59 °F). In practice, summer in Denmark is similar to the first half of May in New York.
During summer, every now and then, the southern currents can bring some hot days, which usually do not last more than two or three days. The temperature rarely reaches 30 °C (86 °F), however, the highest recorded temperatures are about 29/30 °C (84/86 °F) along the coasts most exposed to the wind and in the small islands, and up to 34/35 °C (93/95 °F) in inland areas. In July 2022, the temperature reached 35.5 °C (96 °F) in Odense.

In autumn, the weather is dull and rainy, and at times windy. In November, the amount of sunshine is minimal as in winter. In Copenhagen, the maximum temperature in September is already about 18°C (64 °F), then it drops to 12 °C (54 °F) in October and to 8 °C (46 °F) in November.

Copenhagen

Here are the average temperatures of the capital, Copenhagen, which is located in the east, a short distance from Sweden.

In Copenhagen, 660 mm (26 in) of rain (or snow) fall per year. Here is the average precipitation.

The sun in Denmark is rarely seen from November to February, while from May to August, it shines for about half the time (the days are very long, so the total amount is not low). Here are the average sunshine hours per day in Copenhagen.

Sea temperature

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The temperature of the Baltic Sea is close to freezing in winter, while in summer, it is cold for swimming, since it reaches 18 °C (64 °F) in August.

To the west, the temperature of the North Sea is milder than that of the Baltic Sea in winter. Here are the sea temperatures at Esbjerg.

When to go

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The best time to visit Denmark is the summer, from June to August. Temperatures are mild or warm during the day, while they are cool or even slightly cold at night; the rains are quite frequent, but they are not heavy and generally do not last long.
June is cooler, but also slightly drier than July and August, and it's also the month with the longest days (but they are nonetheless very long throughout summer). The white nights in Copenhagen occur roughly from June 4 to July 9.
In the first half of September, the temperature is still acceptable, in addition, forests show their bright autumn colors.

What to pack

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In winter: bring warm clothes, a fleece, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, a scarf, a wind jacket, and a raincoat or umbrella.
In summer: bring clothes for spring and autumn, being ready to add or remove the outer layer, T-shirts, but also long pants, a jacket and a sweatshirt, and a raincoat or umbrella.

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