April may be the moodiest month of the year in Norway, going from sunshine to storms in the course of a single day, but May is shaping up to be just at temperamental. A sudden chill was expected to lead to snow during the night around Oslo, and it already was white up farther north.
Sun-starved Norwegians got a taste of spring and even summer last week, with several days of sunshine and mild, even warmish, temperatures on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday May 1st, however, thermometers plunged and sub-freezing temperatures were widely reported on Monday morning.
State meteorologists told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that eastern Norway should brace for snow Monday night and maybe even Tuesday morning. Most of the area known as Østfold already has been experiencing frost.
“What we’re worried about is that heavy precipitation is on its way south,” meteorologist Haakon Melhuus told NRK. “At the same time, the temperatures are quite chilly, only around 2-3C on the ground. Therefore we can get snow.”
That can cause challenges for motorists who already have switched from winter tires to summer tires on their cars. “Everyone should be very careful,” Melhuus said. “It can be surprisingly slippery when you go out the door Tuesday morning.”
It was sunny in Oslo Monday morning but the weather forecast called for increasing cloudiness in the afternoon, rain and sleet in the evening.
Residents of Nordland County, specifically in Vesterli in Salten already could report 12 centimeters of new snow Monday morning. See some photos on NRK’s web site. (external link)
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