The normally ice-free Kola fjord along Murmansk is now covered with ice, something that has only occurred a handful of times in the last 100 years. The record daily minimum temperature in Murmansk was broken both on January 12 and 13 with -29.9 °C and -29.5 °C, respectively. In central regions of the Kola Peninsula the temperature has dropped to -38°C, FlashNord reports.
Utsjoki in Finland broke the record for the winter’s coldest temperature twice over the weekend. On Saturday the thermometer showed -37.3 °C, but on Sunday the temperature dropped to -39.6 degrees. Inari Airport and Kaamanen could also boast -39.6 °C on Sunday evening, Yle reports.
The temperature on the North Pole was on Sunday expected to reach the comfortable temperature of -28 °C, Nordlys reported, stating that Karasjok in Finnmark, Norway was ten degrees colder.
People in Karasjok are used to extremely low temperatures. In January 1999 the thermometer showed -51.2°C. The village also holds Norwegian record in low temperature with -51.4, measured in 1886.
The temperature outside BarentsObserver’s office is today -31°C. The cold weather is expected to continue out the week.
