October 8, 2024

Iceland Weather Unpredictability Is Actually Normal

The Icelandic climate is unreliable. In one day you get all kinds of weather. This is especially common in winter but also in summer.

The weather in Iceland is controlled by high-pressure areas that form over the North Atlantic Ocean and Greenland, as well as depressions that are transmitted by the Gulf Stream. Depressions that form near the United States or Canada can turn into strong winds as they approach Iceland.

Due to the interaction of mountains, sea and air temperature at any given time, all kinds of weather can form, which makes it difficult for meteorologists to predict. Recently, a historic storm was expected, which turned out to be a little less than expected. A few years ago there was a big storm that turned out to be much stronger than expected. In fjords and valleys storm surges can occur which are dangerous. Two years ago there was a very bad weather at this time of year and if I recall correctly it was worse than expected.

Yesterday the weather forecast was such that it should be sunny in the Westfjords until at least noon. But as you can see in the main picture, we saw no sun anywhere but we saw the sparkle in the blue sky. Today it was forecast to be cloudy in the Westfjords but the result is bright sun as can be seen in the picture below. Speaking of unpredictability in Icelandic weather.

Winter sunshine in Isafjordur