Presently at -22 celcius at 13.20 Finnish Time
Classic Finn
Severe frosts immobilise cars and freeze pipes across Finland
The first really sharp frosts of this winter immobilised diesel cars and froze pipes in various parts of Finland on Wednesday. The record for this winter of minus 37.7°C was reported in the Naruska area of the municipality of Salla in Lapland.
The thermoregulation equipment of lorries delivering food had a hard time, for instance in Southern Karelia.
In Lahti, a trotting-race meeting was cancelled, and the local water supplier Lahden Vesi had to suspend work at a couple of water system sites lest old pipes be frozen.
Because of the hard frosts and icy winds, work has been stopped also at some northern construction sites.
Strong frosts are expected to prevail in most parts of the country at least until next week. Moreover, if the weather suddenly abated, the risk of the freezing of pipes would increase.
"Indeed, the next few days will be remarkably cold. In contrast to last year, even a quite long cold spell may be ahead", predicts meteorologist Mikko Jäntti of the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
"The weather will be distinctly colder than average, even though the frosts are not likely to reach any record levels."
The reason for the current weather is the strong high pressure centre in Siberia which has also extended to Finland.
Such anticyclones often tend to hang back for a long time. Hence a low pressure area approaching Finland from the west will probably touch only the western part of the country, weakening the frosts in those areas.
According to the weather forecasts, frosts of some -30 to -35°C can be anticipated in the northern and eastern parts of the country. In Southern Finland, temperatures below -20°C are likely, while a temperature of -15°C is predicted for the coastal areas.
By comparison, last January was several degrees warmer than average in Finland, and the severe frost period of the winter occurred in March. However, by then the strengthened sun was already warming up the country in the daytime.
During the current frost period hardly any snow is expected to fall in Finland, except for the western coastal areas.
Currently, there is little or no snow along the southern coast, while the snow cover in the southern and central parts of the country is some 20 to 30 cm. In Lapland, the snow cover varies from 30 to 60 cm.
The mild autumn slowed down the freezing of lakes and rivers. Because the waters were warmer than average until October, the current ice thicknesses are generally weaker than normally.
"Of course the current frosts increase ice thicknesses, but not as much as they would have done if the sharp frosts had arrived at the beginning of ice formation. Besides, the snow cover insulates the ice and prevents it from getting appreciably stronger", says hydrologist Johanna Korhonen of Finland's Environmental Administration.
According to Korhonen, ice thicknesses are generally below normal. The ice thicknesses of the lakes vary from 15 to 30 cm in Southern and Central Finland, and to 25 to 40 cm in Lapland. However, even in the same areas, ice conditions are changing considerably.
The bearing capacity of ice is measured on the basis of bright, transparent, flat and steely ice. A five-centimetre layer of steely ice can bear the weight of a single human being, while a snowmobile needs at least 15 cm of ice under its tracks. A passenger car requires 15 to 20 cm of steely ice under it.
The seas have frozen almost as fast as in the previous years, even though the sea water is currently still 1 to 2 degrees warmer than average.
The ice on the coast is 5 to 20 cm thick, and even thicker in some sheltered bays. Jouni Vainio of the Finnish Institute of Marine Research (FIMR) warns nevertheless that even though the ice cover will thicken further during the current frosts, it is not safe now to go out on the ice of the sea off Helsinki and Espoo, for example.
Previously in HS International Edition:
Mild January weather keeps lake and river ice dangerously thin (13.1.2005)
I hate the cold. I was born in Phoenix,AZ raised in New Orleans,LA and now live 50 miles north of Houston. Cold to me is any thing below 32F. 72 here yesterday and the same predicted for today and I love it. 
The worst Ive seen is -65F* with windchills in the - triple didgets.I called in sick from work that day. 
