Winter in Kirkenes

Winter in Kirkenes is a dream. We have snow from November to April and the landscape turns into a white and cold winter landscape. The light is indescribably beautiful, with a long blue hour and lots of colors in the sky. And of course, the northern lights! You find more information about the Northern lights on https://www.bookingkirkenes.no/nordlys/

Kirkenes with its arctic climate has retained its charm and here you can take part in the “Arctic life” directly and without make-up.
In just 10 minutes you can reach the breathtaking nature and wilderness that surrounds Kirkenes. Here you can take part in various activities, either on your own or with an organized excursion. You can easily take with you your own snowshoes or skiing equipment (cross country) to explore the area around Kirkenes. Kirkenes has fantastic ski tracks, starting at the Borderlandmuseum. Kirkenes impresses with its 100% reliable and magical winter, the many northern lights, guaranteed snow and untouched nature. The distances are short and make traveling locally very easy.

The coldest months are January and February with an average temperatur of -10 C. From the end of January the sun is back and the bright, sunny winter begins. The air in winter is very dry and the cold is therefore very pleasant. For all excursions you get warm clothes, shoes, gloves, etc. Our little town works without any problems even in winter and snow. The airport is open, the streets are cleared (but not salted) and the dry snow crunches under your feet. The excursion program is rich so we hope you will visit Kirkenes in winter time.

If you are interested in the current temperature and the winter weather in Kirkenes, you can find information here: https://www.yr.no/nb/

In Kirkenes we have the polar night from November 27th to January 15th. This means the sun does not rise above the horizon. Even in the darkest period in December, we have some hours with daylight (from 10 am to 1 pm, depends on the weather). Still, the darkness is far from darkness. White snow reflects and makes the world brighter, the sky is wide and full of stars or moonlight. And then there are the northern lights. Difficult to describe, you have to experience it yourself!
On January 16th the sun rises briefly for the first time. From then on, the period of sunshine quickly gets longer and longer. You can check the exact times of sunrise and sunset in Kirkenes on the following pages: https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/norway/kirkenes

Very often we get questions about winter clothes. Here are a few tips from us: In general, you should dress accordingly to the layer on the layer principle. Always use wool as your inner layer, both jumpers, long-sleeved shirts, and socks. On a very cold day, you might add an extra fleece jumper. Outside of your inner layer, you will have wind and waterproof jackets and pants such as Gore-Tex material or similar. Add a warm hat, a couple of warm mittens, thick woolen socks, and a solid pair of boots. If the weather forecast indicates degrees below -5 Celsius or colder you should also consider bringing your down jacket. Especially in cases where you intend to stay out for a longer time. Remember to try your clothing first. It should be comfortable, and not to tight.
Please click here for more info about how to dress for winter

Spikes on shoes make sense in early winter (Nov/Dec) and late winter (March/April). During these months the temperature fluctuates and the roads can be very icy. Spikes for shoes can be bought everywhere in Norway (in sports shops). This tip is for your safety. How do they look like? Please check here: spikes on shoes in winter