Oulu
Elevation 8 m65.01° N, 25.47° E
When to go?
Mean −9 °C, 10 rain days in the month (36 mm).
Against
- Freezinglows of −13 °C
- Dark5.0 hours of daylight
Mean −9 °C, 10 rain days in the month (30 mm).
Against
- Freezinglows of −13 °C
Mean −5 °C, 8 rain days in the month (26 mm).
Good for
- Ideal for the auroraNights of 12 hours and the sky 66 % covered on average: clearer than the average of aurora places.
Against
- Freezinglows of −9 °C
Mean 1 °C, 7 rain days in the month (28 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 8 °C, 9 rain days in the month (42 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 14 °C, 9 rain days in the month (51 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 17 °C, 11 rain days in the month (70 mm).
The least rainy of the months with the right temperature.
Mean 15 °C, 11 rain days in the month (65 mm).
The least rainy of the months with the right temperature.
Mean 10 °C, 10 rain days in the month (51 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean 3 °C, 11 rain days in the month (50 mm).
Nothing against it.
Mean −2 °C, 11 rain days in the month (47 mm).
Against
- Freezinglows of −4 °C
- Dark6.3 hours of daylight
Mean −6 °C, 12 rain days in the month (43 mm).
Against
- Freezinglows of −9 °C
- Dark3.7 hours of daylight
No ideal month: the best months are July–August, the least rainy with the right temperature. Nothing against April–June, September–October either. Ideal for the aurora: March (long nights, often clear sky). Avoid November–February (freezing, at times dark).
What is the climate like?
Temperature and rain
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
Monthly min and max temperature (°C)
How much it rains
Rain days and how much water
Rain days and how much water
Bars: length = rain days, thickness = mm on a rain day, area = the month's rain. 3 mm a day7 mm a day15 mm a day
Colour = the month's rain: 103060100160250400mm
Daylight hours
Daylight and sky: sunrise, sunset and cloud cover
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
daylight under a clear sky (average share)daylight under cloud
Times on the 15th of each month, in local time: daylight saving where and when it applies, standard time in the other months.
Sea temperature: Gulf of Bothnia
Monthly mean sea temperature: Gulf of Bothnia (°C)
Monthly mean sea temperature: Gulf of Bothnia (°C)
Snow on the ground
Mean snow depth on the ground (cm)
Mean snow depth on the ground (cm)
Effect of climate change
Today's climate (1996–2025) compared with 1961–1990:
In short
Year by year
Temperature of each year
Against 1961–1990 the mean temperature of today (1996–2025) has changed by +1.3 °C; in the last ten years by +1.8 °C. Warmest year: 2020 (+3.0 °C), coldest: 1985 (−2.0 °C).
December and January warmed the most (+2.4 and +2.1 °C), March the least (+0.6 °C). The warm season (above the annual mean of then, 2 °C) begins 4 days earlier and ends 5 days later.
Warming stripes: after an idea by Ed Hawkins (University of Reading), showyourstripes.info, CC BY 4.0.
Rain of each year (% against 1961–1990)
more rain than in 1961–1990less rain
Rain in a year: no clear trend, dry and wet years alternate as before.
The sea, then and now
+1.0 °Cthe sea today, compared with 1961–1990
Snow, then and now
−24 %winter snow today, compared with 1961–1990