SnowChase 04 2024/25 | Fresh snow in Norway

Powder above the Arctic Circle

The Skanden, the backbone of the Scandinavian Peninsula, stretch over 1700 km along the border between Norway and Sweden. They lie between 58° and 71° north - significantly further north than anything we have chased before. Almost a third of the country lies above the Arctic Circle.

Because Norway is so elongated, a lot of different things happen in terms of weather, from the mid-latitude cyclones we know to polar cyclones. This week, we are particularly interested in the north, or more precisely: the area from Mo i Rana to Narvik. Mo i Rana lies at the height of the Arctic Circle and the small town of Narvik at around 68° north. There is plenty of snow here today.

The equinox was on March 20, which means that the sun is now shining for more than 12 hours a day in Narvik. So there's plenty of daylight for powder skiing!

Current situation and outlook

A strong area of high pressure over the North Sea led to a north-westerly flow in the north of Norway at the beginning of the week. This weather regime is also known as the "Scandinavian block". Such a weather situation favors polar low pressure systems moving towards Norway. Such a system will reach the region near Narvik in the course of the morning (Thursday) and will cause strong snowstorms there today. Wind gusts of almost 100 km/h will occur. East of Fauske, accumulated snowfall of over 100 cm is forecast until Friday.

By the beginning of next week, the 0°C mark will initially remain below 100 m, and the weather will also remain uncomfortable overall. Good prospects for freeride weather are not in sight for the time being.