Climate - Hammerfest (Norway)

The climate of Hammerfest is subarctic, with very cold, snowy winters and very cool summers.
The town is located on the northern Norwegian coast, in an area of fjords and islands (the city itself is located on an island, Kvaløya), and about 90 km (55 mi) south-west of the North Cape.
Since we are at the 70th parallel, therefore north of the Polar Circle, the sun does not rise (polar night) from November 23rd to January 19th, and does not set (midnight sun) from May 15th to July 30th. The white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur as early as April 9 and until September 3.
The average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of -4.4 °C (24 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 11.4 °C (52 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 820 millimeters (32.3 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 45 mm (1.8 in) in the driest month (May) to 95 mm (3.7 in) in the wettest (October). Here is the average precipitation.

In winter, the ground is often covered with snow, however, there are quite mild periods, in which the temperature is just above freezing, and rain falls, or rain mixed with snow. However, a strong wind can blow during these times.
However, there are also cold periods, more or less long depending on the winter, in which the temperature drops below freezing and stays below even during the day.
On the coldest days of the year, the temperature generally drops to around -15 °C (5 °F), although it can drop to lower values from time to time. The cold record, -23 °C (-9.5 °F), dates back to February 1966. Later, the temperature dropped to 21 °C (70 °F) in January 1979, to -18 °C (-0.5 °F) in February 1985, to -20.5 °C (-5 °F) in January 1986, to -20 °C (-4 °F) in January 1987, to -19 °C (-2 °F) in February 1998, to -21 °C (-6 °F) in January 1999, to -18.5 °C (-1.5 °F) in January 2010, and to -20 °C (-4 °F) in February 2012.

The summer is very cool, if not cold, with fairly frequent rains. The only months in which the temperature never drops below freezing are July and August. Even in these months, however, there can be cold days, with highs below 10 °C (50 °F).
Sometimes, however, from June to August there may be periods of a few days when the temperature exceeds 20 °C (68 °F). Once every few years, the temperature can even exceed 25 °C (77 °F). The highest temperature ever, 29.5 °C (85 °F) was recorded in July 1972. More recently, the temperature reached 28 °C (82.5 °F) in July 1999 (with a night minimum of as high as 22 °C or 71.5 °F), 28.5 °C (83.5 °F) in July 2011, 28 °C (82.5 °F) in July 2014, and again 29.5 °C (85 °F) in July 2018.



The sea temperature ranges between 5 °C (41 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F). So, it is cold all year round. Despite the latitude, the sea does not freeze even in winter thanks to the Gulf Stream. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Hammerfest is the summer, in July and August, since they are the mildest months. However, there are often cloudy skies, some rainy days and a bit of cold. Therefore, it is advisable to bring a jacket and a sweater even in the height of summer.