Climate - Kirkenes (Norway)

The climate of Kirkenes is cold continental, with freezing winters and mild summers.
The town is located in the extreme north-east of Norway, near the border with Russia and Finland, on the coast, but inside a fjord. The distance from the open sea, 18 km (11 mi), is already enough to make the climate colder than on the northern coast, where the last branch of the Gulf Stream arrives.
Since we are at the 69th parallel, therefore north of the Polar Circle, the sun does not rise (polar night) from November 28th to January 15th, and does not set (midnight sun) from May 19th to July 25th. The white nights, in which it is not completely dark even at midnight, occur as early as April 12th and until August 31st.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -10.5 °C (13 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 12.4 °C (54 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 460 millimeters (18.1 inches) per year: it is therefore quite scarce. It ranges from 20 mm (0.8 in) in the driest month (May) to 65 mm (2.6 in) in the wettest (July). Summer is the wettest season. Here is the average precipitation.

The winter is very cold, with fairly frequent snowfalls, although generally not abundant. The temperature exceeds freezing very rarely.
On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to -30 °C (-22 °F). The cold record is -42 °C (-43 °F) and was recorded in January 1999. Other very low values were -39 °C (-38 °F) in February 1966 and February 1976, and -38 °C (-36.5 °F) in January 1985.
Also, the winter is long. The cold record of April is -20 °C (-4 °F), and that of May is -13.5 °C (7.5 °F).

The summer is cool, with quite frequent rains. There are also cold days, with highs around 10 °C (50 °F).
However, there may also be pleasant periods, generally of short duration, with highs of 20/22 °C (64/72 °F).
Once every few years, the temperature can reach or exceed 28 °C (82.5 °F). The record temperature of 32.7 °C (91 °F) was recorded in July 1972. More recently, the temperature reached 30.5 °C (87 °F) in July 2018, when there were even eight days with 28 °C (82.5 °F) or more.



The sea temperature ranges between 3 °C (37 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F). So, it is cold all year round. Here are the average sea temperatures.

Best Time

The best time to visit Kirkenes is the summer, from June to August, since it is the mildest season. However, you must take into account cloudy skies, some rain and a bit of cold. Therefore, it is advisable to bring a jacket and a sweater even in the height of summer.