The climate of Husavik is
subpolar oceanic, with cold winters and very cool summers.
The town is located on the northern coast of Iceland.
The
latitude of Husavik is 66°03'N, therefore, just south of the Arctic Circle. On the shortest day of the year, December 21st, the sun rises at 11:45 am and sets at 2:30 pm. On the longest days, the sun does not set, in fact, due to refraction, it remains above the horizon even at midnight from 12 to 30 June. The white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur before and after this period, from April 21st to August 21st.
The
average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -1.2 °C (30 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 11.2 °C (52 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Husavik - Average temperaturesMonth | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
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January | -4.2 | 1.8 | -1.2 | 24 | 35 | 29.8 |
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February | -3.7 | 1.9 | -0.9 | 25 | 35 | 30.4 |
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March | -4 | 1.9 | -1 | 25 | 35 | 30.1 |
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April | -1.6 | 5.7 | 2 | 29 | 42 | 35.7 |
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May | 1.9 | 9 | 5.4 | 35 | 48 | 41.8 |
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June | 5.4 | 12.8 | 9.1 | 42 | 55 | 48.4 |
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July | 7.2 | 15.2 | 11.2 | 45 | 59 | 52.2 |
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August | 6.9 | 13.5 | 10.2 | 44 | 56 | 50.4 |
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September | 3.8 | 10 | 6.9 | 39 | 50 | 44.4 |
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October | 1 | 6.4 | 3.7 | 34 | 44 | 38.7 |
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November | -2.3 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 28 | 38 | 32.7 |
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December | -4 | 2 | -1 | 25 | 36 | 30.2 |
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Year | 0.6 | 7 | 3.75 | 33 | 44.6 | 39 |
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Precipitation amounts to 820 millimeters (32.3 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 35 mm (1.4 in) in the driest month (May) to 100 mm (3.9 in) in the wettest (October). Here is the average precipitation.
Husavik - Average precipitationMonth | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
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January | 80 | 3.1 | |
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February | 60 | 2.4 | |
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March | 65 | 2.6 | |
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April | 50 | 2 | |
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May | 35 | 1.4 | |
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June | 40 | 1.6 | |
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July | 65 | 2.6 | |
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August | 70 | 2.8 | |
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September | 90 | 3.5 | |
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October | 100 | 3.9 | |
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November | 85 | 3.3 | |
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December | 75 | 3 | |
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Year | 820 | 32.3 | |
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As is typical of Iceland, the weather is often unstable and windy.
In
winter, there can be relatively mild periods, in which the temperature reaches 7/8 °C (44.5/46.5 °F), but sometimes even 10/11 °C (50/52 °F). On the other hand, winds from the north pole or from Greenland can bring freezing periods of three or four days, in which the minimum temperature reaches about -15 °C (5 °F). The coldest record is -21 °C (-6 °F), recorded in March 1969.
It usually snows from October to April or early May, but the nearby elevations remain snow-capped even in summer.
The
summer is very cool, and sometimes even cold, especially in June. The rains are quite frequent. However, there can be very mild periods of two or three days, in which the temperature reaches or exceeds 20 °C (68 °F). The highest record is 25.5 °C (78 °F), recorded in June 1974.
The
sea temperature ranges between 2 °C (36 °F) and 8 °C (46 °F). So, it is very cold all year round. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Husavik - Sea temperatureMonth | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
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January | 3 | 37 | February | 2.5 | 37 | March | 2.5 | 36 | April | 2.5 | 36 | May | 3.5 | 38 | June | 5.5 | 42 | July | 7.5 | 45 | August | 8 | 46 | September | 6.5 | 44 | October | 5 | 41 | November | 4 | 39 | December | 3.5 | 38 | Year | 4.5 | 40.1 |
Best Time
The best time to visit Husavik is the
summer, from June to August, since it is the mildest season. However, there are often cloudy skies, rain and a bit of cold. Therefore, it is advisable to bring a jacket and a sweater even in the height of summer.