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 The saying goes; ‘as changeable as the weather’. Well maybe they should have said as changeable as the weather in Norway. The weather in Norway will surprise you by how fast and drastically it can change. When in Norway, you will most probably notice the Norwegian habit of listening to the weather report like life depends on it. This is because the weather in Norway can change for the worse in a surprisingly short matter of time!
Norway, being on the northern most part of mainland Europe, would be expected to have a cold bleak climate. However, this is not the case; Norway has a mild climate. This is because of the warm water of the Gulf Stream current which sweeps up from the Caribbean Sea to the coast of Norway to save the Norwegians from all the cold! The Norwegian coast is a great tourist attraction because of this.
The climate varies across the country with the southern regions having generally warmer temperatures than the northern regions, as would be expected. Average annual temperatures range from zero degrees in the mountains to eight degrees at the cost with January and February being the coldest months.
The warmest time is in the middle of July when temperatures may rise to about 16 degrees. If you are from a tropical country July is the time to go to Norway, you may take some time to get used to the single digit temperatures of the other months.
 The northern part of Norway is on the very fringe of the global temperate zone. This makes the areas there particularly cold. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -51 degrees. It was recorded at a place called Karasjok in Northern Norway. The Northern region also enjoys a month of ‘midnight sun’ during summer. This is a time when the sun never sets! On the other hand, they have to endure a month during the winter when the sun does not rise above the horizon.
The summers in Norway are nice with the temperatures not rising too high. Sometimes during the summer, there are periods of rain during which the temperatures drop.
The terrain in Norway makes the Norwegian climate differ from other Scandinavian countries. The high mountains separating East Norway from west Norway shield the eastern parts of Norway from rain. This makes large swathes of eastern Norway have very little rainfall. The western coast on the other hand can experience up to 3000mm of rain annually.
During the summer months, the people of Norway come out and enjoy the warmth while it lasts. There is a noticeable change in the society with people being more cheerful and outgoing as they make up for the time spent all wrapped up in winter. Norway’s cold climate and the terrain make the spectacular landscapes that you have probably seen in pictures.
Remember; Norway is generally a cold country, pack for the winter. Make sure you are adequately protected from the cold. You definitely do not want to find yourself in Oslo with only your summer clothes in your suitcase. Otherwise once you get used to it, the climate in Norway is not as harsh as in some of the other countries in the Northern reaches of the world. That said, Norwegians love to brag a bit about the weather, the cold and how they are able to survive their sometimes hard weather. Most probably this has to do with the Viking genes, or, maybe it has to do with the fact that if they can't have the mediterranean climate, at least they should be able to show the world that they are tougher than average.
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