Norway's four seasons
Norway has four distinct seasons: Winter (November-February), Spring (March-May), Summer (June-August) and Autumn (September-October). However, due to the variation in longitudes, the climate will be slightly different in the south and the north of the country. The climate is also different in coastal and inland areas. Climate also depends on the altitude, as Norway is a very mountainous country.
(Source: http://www.visitnorway.com/en/About-Norway/Seasons-and-climate-in-Norway/)
(Source: http://www.visitnorway.com/en/About-Norway/Seasons-and-climate-in-Norway/)
Winter
Winter in Norway is cold. In the South temperatures generally range from +10 to -10 degrees, although coastal regions tend to be milder and the mountains and inland regions tend to be colder.
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Spring
Spring in Norway can be very different from year to year. Some years spring will come early and other years it will come late. Sometimes a few weeks of mild weather can be followed by a cold spell and even snow.
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Summer
Summers in Norway are generally temperate with temperatures ranging from about 15-28 degrees Celsius.
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Autumn
Just like spring, the length of autumn can vary from year to year, as some years snow will fall as early as mid October in Oslo. Generally temperatures fall in September.
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Explanation of Norway's Climate (step 2)
Norway's climate can be explained by 3 main factors: latitude (distance from equator), geography and a phenomenon called the Gulf Stream
Map of Norway (click "-" to zoom out)
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Geography and latitude
Norway is a country in Northern Europe bordering Sweden, Finland, Russia and the Norwegian Sea.
Norway is a very long and narrow country and the mainland covers 13° latitude, from 58°N to more than 71°N. Norway is also a very mountainous country. Naturally the mountain areas have a colder climate than other areas because of the altitude. The coastal areas also tend to be milder than inland areas. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Norway) |
Climate Charts
Because Norway is a very long country with a great difference in latitude's, temperatures will differ greatly between the north and the south of the country. As can be seen from the climate charts below, Oslo in the south has a much warmer climate than Tromso in the north of the country.
Geography of Norway
Norway is also a very mountainous country. Naturally the mountain areas have a colder climate than other areas because of the altitude. The coastal areas also tend to be milder than inland areas.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Norway)
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Norway)
The Gulf Stream
The gulf stream and its extension, the North Atlantic Current, is the reason why Norway has quite a mild climate even though it is situated so far north. The Gulf stream is a warm ocean current xxx. Norway is affected by an extension of the Gulf Stream called the North Atlantic Current. This current brings hot water from the Caribbean Sea and West Indies and most likely contributes to higher air temperatures and milder coastal climate in Norway.
(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Norway, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_drift, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream)
(Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Norway, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_drift, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream)