Raindrops Keep Calling

We're often asked if it's freezing here, if it rains/snows a lot and if it's dark half of the year.

We're all living in the south of Norway so: no it's not dark half of the year.

The days grow shorter in the Winter time and much larger in the Summer time.

Typically we have daytime during 10:30 and 15 in the Winter and nighttime from 00h to 03h in the Summer.

What actually happens is that in the Winter the sun rises but always very close to the horizon line. So you do get to see daylight but it's very pale.

In the Summer the sun disappears in the horizon but never that far from the horizon line, so you always have a pale light in the sky, even during the night.

This varies within the Norwegian area you live in. Further north you may have more extreme variations. However, although all of us came from well defined day and night time countries, this was not as difficult to adapt as it seemed.

 

The cold in southern Norway it's not worse than in some of the winters back home.

The main reason for that is that the houses are well prepared for the cold weather, so you're always warm and comfortable. In fact, you can get to where knit most of the year. You must have a very warm jacket to face the coldest days, but as soon as you enter somewhere (bus included) you immediately feel cosy.

So when moving here, investing in a good long jacket is wise and of course water proof boots. When it comes to these two itens, we can say by our own experience that it's difficult to find good quality material back home. If the country you're from is not on the north then the boots and jackets you will find can be good but never fully prepared for the northern cold. You should buy those itens here where they're built to keep you warm while being easy to wear.

And does it rain/snow a lot here?

Well, again it depends on the area of Norway you're in. Typically it rains more on the west than in the east coast. And it rains more on the coast than in the interior – so no different from most of the other places.

You'll find much more snow in the areas which are away from the coast.

Another item that you may consider to invest on is a good rain coat. Actually you should try to find a warm jacket that is fit for the rain and cold, so a good snow jacket. This will make you feel comfortable during the winter. Don't forget of course the indispensable accessories like: gloves, scarves and something to protect your head (ears included).

It rains here, but so far we can't say that it rains more than in other wetty cities. And just like in other wetty cities the rain is totally unpredictable. It may happen in any season, including the summer, at any time. So you should keep yourself daily updated with the weather forecast (sometimes hour by hour).

Norwegians seem to be proud of knowing exactly when and if it will rain and what type of rain will it be. Besides the rain doesn't scare Norwegians at all. They usually run or cycle to work whether rains or shines. But if you really want to know: yes you will most likely have more rainy days here than in your home country. However this shouldn't be seen as turn off. Of course you don't have to go ahead and embrace the rain, but raining more allows you to appreciate better the sunny days and consequently spend more time outside. And although we're all from warm or temperate countries we can say that we probably spend more time outside here (and enjoy it better) than back home.

Regarding the snow, since you`re in a nordic country there is the possibility of having snow and ice days throughout the entire country, but like referred before, depends on the location. You have snow on the coast, but it doesn`t last long, because since is more rainy, the rain melts and clears the snow and ice. Still you can still have strong snow days, that will cover everything, and can reach big heights. Also this can be a new and interesting experience, that is walking on snow/ice. Here a good pair of boots will help… or just buy strap-on spikes to your shoes.

Norwegians embrace a lot of the snow! It is normal, they are more used to it. But what I mean is that the snow for them means skiing, cross-country and all of snow sports. So the cold and snow can mean very good and fun hobby's.

 

If like some of us, you're just not one of those, then you can also enjoy a nice walk on the weekends or a good reading in a cosy place while having a warm drink.

Other option especially used by a lots Norwegian girls it's to spend 5 to 10 minutes in a solar saloon regularly. It keeps them with an interesting tan, but we're not so sure if that is a healthy choice.

So as you can see the weather is not that big of an issue. At least no more than it can be in other places.

There's not bad weather, only bad clothing!