February was exceptionally warm in Central and Northern Finland. Due to the cold period in January, the mean temperature for the entire winter was only exceptionally high in individual places.
Photo: Eija Vallinheimo
According the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the month's mean temperature varied from 0°C in the country's southwest to -5°C in Northern Lapland. In many parts of the country, February was 6-8°C warmer than usual, and in some locations in the north over 9°C warmer than average.
February was exceptionally warm in Central and Northern Finland. Starting in 1900, February has only been warmer once, in 1990. February was also exceptionally warm in the country's south. The previous time this region experienced a warmer February was in 2008. Other warm Februaries include those in 1974 and 1989.
The month's highest temperature of +8.1 °C was measured at Pori's railway station on 24 February. The month's lowest temperature of -37.5°C was measured at Kiutaköngäs in Kuusamo on the first of the month.
February's precipitation volumes varied from under 20 mm in Northeast Lapland to 60 mm in Sea Lapland. Precipitation volumes were close to average in most of the country. In comparison to the long-term mean, it was driest in Finland's southwest and in Northeast Lapland, whereas it rained somewhat more than average in North Ostrobothnia, West Lapland and Kainuu.
Over the course of February, the snow depth diminished in South and Central Finland. At the end of the month, there was little if any snow in South and West Finland, and in the east the snow depth only ranged from a few centimetres to 20 centimetres. With the exception of coastal areas, snow conditions in the portion of the country below the line running from Oulu to North Karelia were exceptional, and a smaller volume of snow than ever previously recorded was measured at tens of long-time observations stations.
On the other hand, a snow depth of several dozen centimetres was measured in Kainuu, Koillismaa and Lapland, and snow depth were close to the long-term average or in places even deeper. At the change of the month, Kilpisjärvi had the country's deepest snow cover with a depth of 104 centimetres.
The mean temperature for the winter months, i.e. December – February, varied from 0°C in the Southwest Archipelago to -10°C in Northern Lapland. The winter was warmer than average throughout the country, exceptionally warm in some Central and Northern locations. The mean temperature for the winter months was 2 – 4 Celsius above average in nearly the entire county. Both December and February were markedly warmer than usual, but a cold January brought down the winter's mean temperature.
The precipitation volume during the winter months ranged from approximately 80 mm in Northern Lapland to over 200 mm in Kainuu. The country's southern portion and Northern Lapland received less precipitation than average, but, due to an extremely rainy December, North Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and Sea Lapland received an exceptionally large amount of precipitation.
February weather statistics: http://ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/helmikuu