Weather in Kristiansand, Norway

Weather in Kristiansand, Norway

Anybody planning a visit or fully relocating to Norway can be sure of a beautiful country dotted with just so many mountains, forests, fjords and icecaps. In whatever way you choose to look at Norway, you will never miss something worth mentioning positively. Its cities are bustling with a cocktail of mediaeval and modern civilisation manifested in the architecture, amusement parks, museums and contemporary city parks. Kristiansand is one of the Norwegian cities that provides a clear memory of the past. The Traditional wooden houses along the Hamresanden beach well provide an appetising sight for tourists that always throng the city.

A simple search of Kristiansand will give you the impression of being a great tourist destination, which it really is. In the months of Summer, the city bursts into great life as travel lovers come to sample attractions, cuisine, traditions and the great landscape around the city. Probably you may consider Kristinadan in your travel basket next Summer. It won’t be a disappointment. 

Tracing Kristiansand in the map of Norway

The weather in Kristiansand is surely something that not only concerns visitors but also those who live there. In our main article mottled,  Norway, we highlighted that the country experiences the extremes of weather. It can get freezing cold in winter and scorching hot in Summer. So anyone visiting the city of Kristiansand should equally think about the weather. Nonetheless, let’s slice and dice this seaside city a bit before spotlighting its weather in detail. 

In between Norway and Denmark, lies a town and seaport at the mouth of the Otra River, Kristiansand. Located in southern Norway on the Skagerrak, Kristiansand, is a spacious and ice-free harbour. The town is protected by the offshore islands making it the largest community of the Sorlandet region.  

Founded and fortified in 1641, the town remained extremely meaningless until the late 19th century. Today, Kristiansand is a very busy transportation centre and an extremely significant town on the Oslo-Stavanger rail line. Despite the significance, Kristiansand weather is relatively continental with mild summers and cold winters. 

Even though Kristiansand is in the far south of Norway, the weather is not the mildest one in the country. Kristiansand town is slightly exposed to the ocean currents than the west coast. As a matter of fact, the winter is cold and cloudy at the same time. Although there are periods presenting mild-cold which are sometimes longer or less given the prevailing Atlantic currents. 

Average Yearly Weather experienced in Kristiansand

What I love about Kristiansand is the comfort associated with the summers which are cloudy in part. However, winters are longer in Kristiansand very cold, snowy, windy and mostly cloudy. Most interestingly, in the course of the year, the temperature in Kristiansand is typically varied. The temperature range varies from 26ºF-68ºF but on few occasions under 11ºF or above 76ºF

If by any chance you are planning to visit Kristiansand, the best time of the year would be between late June and Mid-August. During this period the Kristiansand’s weather is mostly warm and commendable for warm-weather activities. 

In the month of July and August you are rest assured of good weather coupled with pleasant average temperatures. But one must take into account the emergence of some rainy days and slightly cold nights. So, as you travel to Kristiansand, carry with you some necessities that would keep you warm and dry just in case. 

Average temperature over Kristiansand, Norway

Warm weather in Kristiansand is only available for three months. 6th June and 8th September is a warm season in Kristiansand with a daily average temperature exceeding 62ºF. However, for lovers of hot weather, July is the perfect month during the year in which you can holiday in Kristiansand. July experiences an average high temperature of 67ºF and a low of 53ºF.  

The spacious and ice-free harbour however experiences some pretty nasty cold seasons for a period of 4 and half months. Around 20th November to 25th March, Kristiansand town experiences a cold season with an average high of below 43ºF. January happens to be the coldest month of the year around Kristiansand and I bet this is the time you would want to have more coffee than usual. 

Cloudy Days in Kristiansand

When the sky turns out to be a bit cloudy in Kristiansand town, then it could just be summer already. An average percentage of the sky on a typical cloudy day is usually covered in clouds. This could be experienced on some key seasonal alterations in the course of the year. However, the clearer part of the cloudy season is mostly experienced from around mid-April. It could stay longer for five months and go away to welcome a new season somewhere around early October. 

Kristiansand has an experience of a rather clearer sky around July. The sky either becomes clear most of the time or partly cloudy. From early October, the sky as witnessed from Kristiansand, is cloudier than any other season. This could be experienced for longer months of up to 6months to mid-April. Well, the sky will however be overcast most of the time in Kristiansand in the month of January. The month of January is often the cloudiest month of the year from Kristiansand town. 

Wet and Dry Seasons in Kristiansand

Just like the cloudy days and temperature varies in Kristiansand town, the chances of wet and dry seasons also vary all through the year. A typical wet day records at least 0.04 inches of liquid precipitation. The average precipitation amounts to 1325 millimetres annually. 

Nonetheless, a wetter season lasts for about 5months or more by a few weeks. November has the most wet days in Kristiansand which averagely go for 13 days. On the other hand, drier seasons go for a 6-months period from early February to late August. While April has fewer days that are wet with an average length of seven days.

Winter season in Kristiansand 

Kristiansand is pretty cold and cloudy during winter. However, there are some mild periods which may be longer or shorter given which Atlantic current is prevailing. It can be cold and you will need to warm up your home to make yourself warm. The temperature during the winter surpasses freezing through blowing winds and frequent rains. Winter also can present even colder periods where it snows with temperatures below freezing.

In some instances, there can be an abundance of snow falls. Annually, there is at least one season presented by temperature drops under -10℃. This is extremely cold yet once in every few years it may drop further below to -16℃ or -18℃. Though it rarely goes even further below -20℃. Kristiansand town once around 1982 January, recorded the lowest temperature reading at -28.2℃ and this was considered the coldest in history.

 This is how Summer looks like in Kristiansand, Norway

During summer time Kristiansand weather is mild with a fairly rainy season. The summer days are pretty long with a good amount of sunshine, better than in any other parts of the country. If you wish to sunbathe then this is usually the best time since the sea breeze is not too cool. Visit the Hamresanden beach for an exclusive sunbathe after a pretty cold season along the stretch of the coast facing south.  

On a typical day without rain, Kristiansand experiences very pleasant days with temperature recording highs of 21-22℃. The town also experiences some very warm days with temperatures of around 25℃ or exceeding. On a few occasions though, the temperature can get close to 30℃ with the highest record at 32.1℃. 

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An avid storyteller and passionate writer with a penchant for letting people know that which they don't know while at the same time telling people more about what they may already have known. At the end, you stay informed, be curious, and get cosy.