The Climate in Spitsbergen

Average temperatures range from -6 to -13°C (21 to 9°F) in April and -1 to -4°C (30 to 25°F) in May. Temperatures can fluctuate to -30°C to warmer than +1°C (-22 to +33°F). Temperature differences are more pronounced than in the summer and winds can be more violent.

Strong winds are not uncommonin Spitsbergen. When the sun is shining, the warm air rises and cold air stored at the glaciers 'flows' with gravity towards the sea. This process is what is known as the katabatic winds. Their violence depends on the size of the glacier. Maximum speeds are around 80km / 50m per hour in Spitsbergen and 200km / 125m per hour in the South Pole.

In the summer the weather often yeilds a ceiling of cloud which covers the mountains. The weather is usually calm in June and July and the north winds begin to blow in August. September can either be a beautiful late summer season or already the start of winer. No summer is the same so travellers must be prepared for both the best and the worst weather conditions.

Winds are normally moderate and generally very local. One peak might be exposed to strong winds whilst the bay just around the corner in calm. The wind direction varies thanks to the fjords which channel them. The North and South facing fjords are by far the most exposed. The climate is very changeable, good weather and bad weather do not normally persist for more than 2 days at a time. There may be fog in the summer.

The average annual rainfall in Longyearbyen is only 200 mm and the rainfall record for one month is only 56 mm. Spitsbergen is a cold desert. Showers are very rare, when it 'rains' it is normally just light drizzle which falls for a few hours.

The tide height is usually 0.5 metres. A current at the speed of 1 knot (1.8 km / 1 mile) per hour revolves around the island in a clockwise direction. This can become stronger at the headlands and between the islands.

The polar night lasts 2 and a half months (November 14th - January 29th). This phenomena is both loved and hated. It's only rival is the faithful full moon whose intense light brings new dimensions to the glittering winter landscape.

Then the sun comes. Every year, for four months, the sun shines high in the sky and uninterrupted (April 19th - August 23rd). In September the days get shorter by half an hour a day until the 21st of Ocober when the sun actually sets.