As the above simple data shows, Norway, despite mainly North of almost all of the UK, is barely colder, and at same latitude (Thurso and Kristiansand) it is warmer (today’s data). Norway is considerably warmer than Alaska.

Norway

The warmest and most stable weather usually occurs on the eastern side of the southern mountains, including the south coast between Mandal and Oslo. Even further north, summer temperatures are rather pleasant – sometimes reaching as high as 25 degrees Celsius or more.

Due to the temperate waters of the Gulf Stream, Norway has a much milder climate than other parts of the world at the same latitude, such as Alaska, Greenland, and Siberia. While the coast enjoys a milder climate, it can get very cold in some of the inland areas during winter.

Finnmark plain

January

Around Oslo, snowfall is common and the average temperatures are just below zero. The lower inland areas of Finnmark, Troms, Trøndelag, and Eastern Norway can have very cold winters with lots of snow.

The best time to visit Norway is during the shoulder seasons, in spring (between May and June), and fall (between September and October), when the weather is amazing and there aren’t that many tourists. The high season to visit Norway is between mid-June and August.

The Polar Night can last days to months depending on your location. On the North Cape, the sun remains under the horizon for more than two months, while in Tromsø the phenomenon lasts for six weeks or so. In Lofoten, the dark period is short, just under four weeks.

The Polar Night is a phenomenon that happens inside the Polar Circle. In Norway, that means that this phenomenon only occurs in the northern regions. While the days are short in all of Norway during the winter months, the sun rises above the horizon (even if only for a few hours) so it doesn’t qualify as a Polar Night.

Dece

24 hours

Best place to see the boreal aurora in Norway – Oslo However, it is not impossible to see the Aurora Borealis in Oslo. In fact, between August and September 2015 there were very intense solar storms that made it possible to see the Northern Lights in Stavanger and Bergen.

Norway is undoubtedly the best place for seeing the northern lights in Scandinavia, especially if you want to capture the aurora dancing above spectacular fjords and waterfalls. However, Sweden and Finland are both great options if you want to see the northern lights on a smaller budget.