Finnish Meteorological Institute: Weather this severe 40 years ago

On Saturday temperatures may rise above freezing but frost will follow

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Statistics kept by the Finnish Meteorological Institute confirm the view of the state-owned railway company VR that the recent problems with rail traffic are linked with the severe weather conditions. No winter as severe as this has been experienced in Southern Finland since 1970.
     
VR has reported that the main reason for the problems encountered last weekend was the fact that whirling snow had become packed in the rail switches at the Ilmala depot in Helsinki.
      ”The amounts of precipitation themselves have not been great, but dry snow and sharp winds rendered last weekend difficult”, notes meteorologist Niina Niinimäki.
      Blowing snow becomes a problem when a frosty period is long and snowy.
     
In the current winter, Helsinki has been experiencing uninterrupted freezing temperatures since December 29th. By Wednesday, this year’s frost period had lasted already for 54 days.
      The last time that Helsinki experienced such a long period of temperatures remaining below zero degrees Celsius was in the winter of 1984-1985, when the temperature stayed below the freezing point for 77 days.
     
When it comes to traffic, the previous period was easier than the current one, as the amount of precipitation was then lower. On Wednesday, the snow in Helsinki was 62 centimetres deep. In the same period in 1985, it was just 28 centimetres.
      At present, Finland is in the grip of its coldest winter in 30 years. In the winter of 1969-1970, the continuous frost period in Helsinki lasted for 67.5 days. The thickness of the snow layer was 0.5 metre at the end of February 1970.
     
The present severe weather is expected to continue until the weekend. On Saturday, the temperature may rise above zero, but another frost period is expected to follow.
      ”When the snow thaws a little and then freezes again, the frost makes an icy cover on the snow, preventing it from whirling around”, Niinimäki adds.
     
Even today, Wednesday, the frosty and snowy conditions are disrupting traffic in the Greater Helsinki area and across Southern Finland. Train traffic will continue to suffer from the difficult conditions, while a large number of long-distance services have been cancelled and commuter trains continue to run reduced services. Occasional delays could also be anticipated.

More on this subject:
 Snow load on roofs getting risky in places

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Commuter trains continue to run reduced services, as commuters’ patience wears thin (23.2.2010)
  Deep winter conditions grip Helsinki and the entire south of Finland (8.1.2010)
  Brief thaw could get Finnish rail operations out of a fix (22.2.2010)

Links:
  VR

Helsingin Sanomat