By Nina Haabeth – Dagsavisen

By Nina Haabeth

Åre first month of spring was thus the fourth warmest March since 1900.

Also this year in February went down in history as one of the five mildest February month since 1900, according to the survey from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.

In March there were relatively mildest in Sør-Trøndelag and further north in eastern, with deviation of 6 to 9 degrees.

Month Precipitation for the whole country was 120 percent of normal.

Finnmark and Troms

Relatively mildest was inner coat of Finnmark and Troms with fluctuations of 5 to 7 degrees above normal. Some stations in Western Norway had deviations of about 2 degrees above normal.

Meteorological Institute reports that the warmest station was Tafjordfjellene (Norddal, Møre og Romsdal) with 6 degrees (3, 3 degrees above normal), while the coldest station was Juvvasshøe (Lom, Oppland) with minus 7.6 degrees (2.5 degrees above normal).

Shorter snow season

Meteorological Institute writes on its website that observations show that both winter and spring has been warmer in the past 100 years.

The air temperature in Norway has risen by up to 0.8 degrees in winter and up to 1.5 degrees in the spring. In the same period winter precipitation increased by 16 percent and vårnedbøren 23 percent.

The temperature increase has meant that the average snowline has crept inland and altitude. Snow season is shorter. Snow falls later in the fall and melt earlier in the spring. We have received fewer days of skiing conditions. Particularly noticeable is that in many densely populated areas around Oslo and Trondheim. (NTB)