Kuusamo is most southerly Finnish location with snow on the ground

Many places in Northern Lapland have already received this autumn's first dustings of snow.
      The thickest snow layer of some five centimetres has been found in Saariselkä in the municipality of Inari. Four local observation stations of the Finnish Meteorological Institute are reporting snow cover of 1cm.
      The most southerly location with snow is Kuusamo.
     
The first snow came already a fortnight ago, but it melted away quickly, says meteorologist Mikko Laine from the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
      ”Kilpisjärvi may have enjoyed snow longer than the other regions”, Laine notes.
     
The snow layer is not yet intact, and it is not certain that it will be permanent.
      In the far north, the daytime temperatures are just a few degrees above zero, but every night the mercury falls below zero, which means that the snow cover might very well remain on the ground, Laine estimates.
      It is not likely that snow would be received in the south or in the central parts of the country this week, as the daytime temperatures are some degrees higher than average.
      For example in Helsinki the 5-day average of the daily temperatures is 9° Celsius, compared with the usual 4°C at this time of year.
     
Moreover, the waters in the sea areas surrounding Finland have remained warmer than last autumn.
      According to the Finnish Institute of Marine Research, the water temperatures particularly in the Bothnian Sea, the Gulf of Finland, and in the northern Baltic Sea are slightly higher than normal. The surface temperatures vary from less than 5°C in the Bay of Bothnia to more than 11°C in the northern Baltic Sea.
     
More snow is not predicted to fall at least over the current week, as the mild and humid southwestern air flow is likely to continue until Friday.
      Acccording to Mikko Laine, a colder northerly air flow could be expected for next weekend and the beginning of next week, but it is not certain as yet.
      The first snow falls in Lapland generally at the turn of September and October, while in the province of Oulu the autumn’s first fall of snow is typically enjoyed in the last week of October.
      The central parts of the country usually receive their first snow at the beginning of November, and according to statistics, the southern parts of the country receive snow - if any - at the end of November.
      The City of Helsinki has an annual competition to guess on what day the city's snow clearing vehicles will first be called into action. Any who put their faith in an October call-out are probably going to be right out of luck.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Long-awaited snow finally lands in Helsinki (27.3.2008)
  First snow falls in Helsinki later every year (13.10.2006)
  Northern Lapland receives autumn´s first sprinkling of snow (21.9.2006)

Links:
  Local weather including forecasts for 18,000 localities (in Finnish)
  Finnish Meterological Institute
  Finnish Institute of Marine Research