Christmas Eve was exceptionally mild this year, with temperatures above freezing point everywhere except the far north-west. Much of the north basked in the relatively balmy warmth of two degrees above freezing.
“It is exceptionally warm in the north,” said Yle meteorologist Matti Huutonen, who adds that the south also experienced a rare Christmas ‘heat wave’—of six degrees above freezing.
The temperatures are around 7-8 degrees above seasonal averages in the north, and 4-5 degrees higher than what’s expected in the south. As new rain, sleet and snow moves in on Christmas Day, driving conditions are expected to deteriorate.
The mild conditions are expected to continue at least until the New Year.