Warmer than average Winter expected for the Baltics and Scandinavia

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

According to meteorologists at AccuWeather, a warmer-than-average winter is predicted for the Baltics and Scandinavia. Although periods of unsettled and cold weather are anticipated, on average there will be fewer snow days and warmer temperatures compared to average figures. 

2022 marks the third consecutive La Niña winter in row. This is only the third time in recorded history that this has occurred, the last being between 1998 and 2001. Typically La Niña occurs every 3-5 years.

La Niña, is a weather phenomenon in the southern hemisphere that leads to colder waters in the Pacific, south of the equator. The colder conditions affect tropical rainfall from Indonesia to South America, which in turn changes weather patterns throughout the world. 

Based on usual La Niña conditions as well as historic studies of past consecutive La Niña winters, it is expected that conditions in North-Eastern Europe will be warmer than current averages. 

As well as being warmer than normal, less snow is predicted than usual. For example, it is predicted that in the first half of the winter, areas of Southern Sweden will miss out on most of their usual snow days (a meteorology term for a day when snow falls). A little more snow is expected across Finland and Estonia due to precipitation heading north from the meditereanean along active weather patterns. However, this is still expected to be less than usual. 

Despite the temperatures being predicted to be warmer than the current averages, we can still expect to see periods of colder temperatures as well as occasional unsettled and stormy conditions coming from the United Kingdom.

Looking further across Europe, Southern Europe is expected to see more storms and wetter conditions than usual, the UK will also face stormy conditions as well as cold bursts, and Central Europe is expected to be drier than normal.

For a more detailed look at the predicted weather conditions across Europe this winter, you can read AccuWeather’s in-depth predictions here. 

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