The village of Poka in Finnish Lapland has over 120cm of snow cover.
© Jarmo Siivikko/YleThe village of Poka in Finnish Lapland has over 120cm of snow cover.
While southern parts of Finland continue to see the mildest winter in at least a century, and even cherry trees have started to blossom in some localities, Finnish Lapland is covered by near-record levels of snow, with a real threat of avalanches on the fells.

Iiris Viljamaa of the Finnish Meteorological Institute told the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat that on Wednesday, the village of Poka in Kittilä had 121 centimetres of snow cover. Poka's long-term average for this time of year is 42 centrimetres.

Several of the institute's weather measurement stations in Lapland have reported record snow depths.


Iso-Syöte looked pretty stunning on 17.2.2020.
© Timo HakalaIso-Syöte looked pretty stunning on 17.2.2020.
The all-time record for Finland is 190 centimetres of snow cover, measured at the village of Kilpisjärvi in April 1997.

A new record is still possible this winter, but Ilta-Sanomat notes that fluctuating temperatures have meant that much of the snow has been wet which has compacted it already.

The cabin is hidden behind the snow. Suomussalmi has a lot of snow.
© Armi JuntunenThe cabin is hidden behind the snow. Suomussalmi has a lot of snow.