Between Saturday and Wednesday some 15 centimetres of fresh snow is expected on the south coast, with some spots receiving even more. Åland is also expected to get a fair amount of snow. There are warnings of poor driving conditions in southern and central Finland as a result of the snow on Saturday.
The forecast shows decreasing amounts of new snow further north. Between 5 and 10cm is expected south of a line between Pori, Jyväskylä and Kajaani, while up to 5cm could fall as far north as Oulu and Kuusamo. No snow is expected in Lapland.
Spring is, nevertheless, in the air
Despite the white-out, temperatures are showing a spring-like difference between daylight and night-time hours. In clear conditions, the difference can be up to ten degrees. The difference is just a few degrees where the weather is cloudy.
A low pressure area is bringing temperatures around the zero mark to Helsinki and the south coast. The snow in this region is wet and heavy as a consequence of the relatively warm temperatures.
A switch to a high pressure system on Tuesday will bring much colder conditions to the region. In Lapland, on the other hand, temperatures will begin to rise so that skiers and fell-walkers will be able to enjoy the relatively balmy heights of -10 degrees Celsius during the day.
Detailed weather forecasts and warnings are available in English at the Meteorological Institute’s website.