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Eight seasons, not four

Seasons in Lapland

People in the north count eight seasons, not four. Here is what each one is like, and what you can do with us in it.

Spend a full year in Lapland and four seasons stop being enough. The weeks of deep frost are nothing like the sunny snow of March, and the green midnight sun has little in common with the dark, berry-filled evenings of August. So people here count eight. Our newest resort, Eight Seasons Inari, is named after them.

Choose a season to see what nature is doing, how much light there is, and which of our activities run. The story behind the eight seasons.

The eight seasons

October – November

First Snow

The ground freezes, the lakes close and the first snow arrives. The huskies start running again.

December – early January

Christmas and Polar Night

Blue twilight at midday, deep soft snow, candles in the windows. The season most people picture when they think of Lapland.

January – February

Frosty Winter

The coldest, clearest and quietest weeks. The light comes back a little more every day.

March – April

Crusted Snow Spring

The most snow and the most sunshine of the whole winter, at the same time. Locals call it the best season.

Late April – May

Ice Break-up

The snow melts, the rivers break free and the light never quite leaves. The quiet weeks between winter and summer.

June – July

Midnight Sun

The sun does not set. You can fish at midnight, cycle at one in the morning and sleep when you feel like it.

August – early September

Harvest Season

Berries and mushrooms fill the forest, the nights turn dark again and the first auroras of the season appear.

September – early October

Ruska, the Autumn Colours

Two or three weeks when the whole landscape turns yellow, orange and deep red, under skies that are dark enough for auroras.

Season	When	Daylight in Rovaniemi	Snow	Northern Lights
First Snow	Oct – Nov	9 → 5 hours	Arrives	Yes
Christmas and Polar Night	Dec – early Jan	about 2.5 hours	Deep	Yes
Frosty Winter	Jan – Feb	4 → 8 hours	Deep	Yes
Crusted Snow Spring	Mar – Apr	12 → 15 hours	Deepest, then melting	Until mid-April
Ice Break-up	Late Apr – May	15 → 19 hours	Melts	No
Midnight Sun	Jun – Jul	24 → 21 hours	None	No
Harvest Season	Aug – early Sep	about 17 hours	None	From late August
Ruska	Sep – early Oct	13 → 9 hours	Possible in October	Yes

Daylight and temperature figures on these pages are typical values for Rovaniemi as published by Visit Rovaniemi. Every year is a little different, and Inari, 330 kilometres further north, is colder, darker in winter and lighter in summer.