Tromsø is located near the sea, which has a calming influence on the temperature variations both round the clock and throughout the year. At wintertime low pressure leads the quiet mild air to the north, but during the summer the northern wind is more dominating.

The dominating wind direction in Tromsø is southwest, especially in the winter months. Tromsø island is located relatively well defended against strong winds from the sector between southeast and north-east, so the all the strong winds that blow here are from the western side. Because of the high mountains the strong winds are rare in Tromsø, and storms seldom take place.

Because the earth’s axis is sloping in relation to the rotation of the earth around the sun, the length of the day and night varies throughout the year. In the winter time the sun doesn’t shine over Tromsø. The further to the north you are, the longer the polar nights will become. Polar nights in Tromsø are from 25th of November to 17th of January.

Towards the end of January the sun peeks out again. The sloping of the axis means longer daylight hours during the summer in the northern parts of Norway. The result is that the sun that never sets – the famous midnight sun. The midnight sun in Tromsø can be seen from 19th of May to the 26th of July.

The harbour area is always ice-free.

Tides:

High tide comes to Tromsø 1 hour 19 minutes after the moon’s culmination. The difference between high and low tide is 1.77 metres. The difference between high tide and potable water is 2.32 metres. The greatest registered difference is 3.99 metres.

For more information see: http://met.no/english/index.html