A stretch of brilliant autumn weather in much of Norway is coming to an end. Residents of northern Norway and motorists in the mountains were being advised to dig out their winter clothes again and put winter tires on their cars, after state meteorologists predicted the first snowstorms of the season over the weekend. Snow started falling in the mountains Friday morning, while forecasts elsewhere called for more rain.
Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported snow already around Stryn and Jostedalen. and more was in the forecast. Autumn weather with cooler temperatures but some sunshine was predicted for most of southern Norway east of the mountains on Saturday, which looked like the best day to head out for a hike or work in the garden. On Sunday, according to the weather experts, the outlook looked decidedly wet indeed.
Meanwhile, all the counties in the north were due to get their first taste of winter. “It’s beginning to be winter, yes,” Ingrid Bentsen of the state meteorological institute told website yr.no. “Precipitation will be completely white all the way down to low-lying areas both Saturday and Sunday in the northernmost counties.”
That includes Finnmark, Troms and Nordland. Bentsen said the snow isn’t expected to build up very much and it likely will revert to rain again next week, but motorists especially should be prepared for slick roads.
She said snow would also fall in the mountains of Vestlandet, the western portion of southern Norway, and warned that the snow level “was quite low,” down to 800 meters. She recommended winter tires for everyone driving over the mountains this weekend, and that may be many given traffic tied to høstferie, the annual week of autumn holidays when schools close.
“From elevations of 800 meters and higher, the precipitation will be white in many mountain area,” she said.
Bentsen said the rest of the country will escape snow and sleet, but rain was likely Sunday and frost could set in during the night.
Views and News from Norway/Nina Berglund
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