Tips for moving to Finland - Winter

"Winter is Coming." - George R.R. Martin

I know, I know, it's a short quote, but if you've not experienced Finnish winter and you come from a temperate climate like Ireland or the UK then believe me, winter here is vastly different from what you're used to and you need to be prepared.

First of all, winter in Finland is LONG!!! I can't emphasise that point enough. I spent a little over 2 months here last winter from mid December until the end of February. It was getting brighter all the while but bitter cold. October sees autumn come and go quickly with leaves falling and days shortening. There can be some snow but generally it starts off colourful and ends up grey. November is when the chill arrives and grey skies are now the normal colour. You can go weeks without seeing sunshine or blue skies and it's pretty depressing. Plenty of rain can be expected too. December is generally when the first snow falls and sticks, although this can come much earlier also. To give you an idea of how things can be, the first real snow of this winter fell before Christmas and the landscape down south has been covered in a white blanket of snow ever since. Such snowfall is common in January. During the 2 months since then, we've had some mild weather with temperatures around zero degrees, but mostly it's been around -5 to -10. It does also get particularly cold at times, especially in February when the sea ice often freezes and you also have to take into account the wind-chill factor. This picture shows what it was like just a few short weeks ago.

Dress Appropriately. I cannot stress this enough. As a particularly warm-blooded individual, I tend to do quite well in the cold. That being said, there's a big difference between the 'real-feel' and the actual temperature at times. It's important to check this out. My normal Irish winter clothes are perfectly fine if it's around -5 but the real feel here is usually below -10 and for that, you need a warm hat, really good quality wind-proof gloves, winter boots/shoes are a must both to stay upright and prevent frostbite and then you need a good wind-proof winter-coat or the appropriate number of layers to stay warm. I realised the inadequacy of my layers one day in Helsinki when the wind cut through four layers. As George R.R. Martin also wrote, 'Nothing burns like the cold.' Thankfully I'm better equipped now and I know the importance of staying wrapped up in this extreme weather.

Winter here is also quite beautiful. While the skies may be grey, the landscape is white and therefore bright. It's beautiful, especially when the snow is freshly fallen and covering the trees. As springtime approaches and the days get longer, the sun gets higher and the snow glistens in the freezing temperatures. You may not want to spend too much time outside, but while you do, you can enjoy some beautiful sights.

The Finns are well prepared for the winter. In addition to warm houses and winter tyres, the roads and footpaths received fantastic maintenance during the winter months. It's quite easy to navigate your way around during prolonged periods of cold as paths are cleared and covered in peoples to provide grip. Just watch out for the days when temperatures hover around zero. This is when the ice becomes a menace with melting/freezing cycles on a daily basis. Today is one such day here in Helsinki!


The only other piece of advice I can give you about the winter here is to embrace the cold.
You don't really have a choice to be honest. The winter-ish weather can last for up to 5 months here in Finland in the south and longer as you move further north. You also have to take into account the short days. At times it's only semi-bright between 10:00 - 14:00 or so. It was a novelty for me and first but after many years and this being my second prolonged winter, I'm now accustomed to the realities of winter. You'll need to be taking your Vitamin D tablets here in Finland and while the summers are plentiful, you can expect your solar panels to be covered in snow and pretty much useless during the winter months.

We've had almost a week of spring-like weather here with sunshine and temperatures above zero during the day but don't let that deceive you. Many parts of the sea are still frozen (as you can see here) and strong winds and snow will return today bringing and end to the brief spring interval as Winter reminds us of its presence. Wrap up well folks!

Let's not forget your Finnish learning for the day. Finlands great Olympian recently passed away, however his quotes, among other things, will live on. This is quite fitting for today I feel.

"Sauvakävelin siellä järvellä ja opin avantouinnin" - Matti Nykänen

I was doing Nordic walking there on the lake and that’s how I learned to swim in a hole in the ice.