Clothing_Svalbard_dogsledding

Share:

How to dress on Svalbard

Even the most amazing aurora, or wild and wonderful experiences under the midnight sun can be ruined if you are freezing. Here you can read about the average temperatures in each month, and get some great tips about what clothes you should bring, dependent on when you are visiting our beautiful island.

January

The average temperature in January is -15 degrees Celsius, and if it is windy the effective temperature can quickly drop to well below minus 20. It is important to be well dressed! If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, and maybe taking some trips out of town, you should have thick winter pants, a down jacket (or similar), a thick woollen jumper, and woollen long johns and underwear. You will need warm shoes and woollen socks, was well as mittens, hat and a neck gaiter in warm materials. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

February

The average temperature in February is -15 degrees Celsius, and if it is windy the effective temperature can quickly drop to well below minus 20. It is important to be well dressed! If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, and maybe taking some trips out of town, you should have thick winter pants, a down jacket (or similar), a thick woollen jumper, and woollen long johns and underwear. You will need warm shoes and woollen socks, was well as mittens, hat and a neck gaiter in warm materials. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

March

The average temperature in March is -16 degrees Celsius, and if it is windy the effective temperature can quickly drop to well below minus 20. It is important to be well dressed! If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, and maybe taking some trips out of town, you should have thick winter pants, a down jacket (or similar), a thick woollen jumper, and woollen long johns and underwear. You will need warm shoes and woollen socks, was well as mittens, hat and a neck gaiter in warm materials. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

April

The average temperature in April is -12 degrees Celsius. We recommend that you dress warmly. If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, and maybe taking some trips out of town, you should have thick winter pants, a down jacket (or similar), a thick woollen jumper, and woollen long johns and underwear. You will need warm shoes and woollen socks, was well as mittens, hat and a neck gaiter in warm materials. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

May

The average temperature in May is -4 degrees Celsius. If the sun is shining and there is no wind, it will be fine and mild, but if there is wind and precipitation if will feel like a winter day on the mainland. It is therefore wise to bring warm clothes in May too, as it is considered a winter month here on Svalbard. A hat, mittens and scarf should be brought along, in case it gets cold and you plan on spending a lot of time outdoors. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

June

The average temperature in June is 2 degrees Celsius. If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, it is wise to bring clothing that will keep you warm. For example, woollen clothing to wear under an all weather jacket. Packing a pair of gloves and a warm hat is not a bad idea either, especially if you are going on a boat trip - it can get cold quickly out on deck. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

July

The average temperature in July is 6 degrees Celsius. If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, it is wise to bring clothing that will keep you warm. For example, woollen clothing to wear under an all weather jacket. Packing a pair of gloves and a warm hat is not a bad idea either, especially if you are going on a boat trip - it can get cold quickly out on deck. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

August

The average temperature in August is 5 degrees Celsius, so it is a good idea to bring warm autumn clothing. If you are planning on spending a lot of time outdoors, it is wise to bring clothing that will keep you warm. For example, woollen clothing to wear under an all weather jacket. Packing a pair of gloves and a warm hat is not a bad idea either, especially if you are going on a boat trip - it can get cold quickly out on deck. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

September

The average temperature in September is 0.3 degrees Celsius, so it is important to bring clothing that will keep you warm. Woollen layers, a good jacket and warm pants are required if you are planning on being outdoors. If you are going to take a boat trip you should bring extra warm clothing - it can get quite cold on deck. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

October

The average temperature in October is -6 degrees Celsius, so you must bring clothing that will keep you warm. The first snow has generally fallen, and woollen clothing, a good jacket and warm pants are required if you are planning on being outdoors. If you are going to take a boat trip you should bring extra warm clothing - it can get quite cold on deck. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

November

The average temperature in November is -10 degrees Celsius, so you should bring your warmest winter clothing. It is full winter in November, and when the wind is blowing, it can quickly reach an effective temperature of under -20 degrees Celsius. The normal recommendation is to use thin wool against you skin, an insulating middle layer of wool or fleece, and then your winter jacket and pants on the outside. In addition, you will need warm shoes, neck gaiter, hat and mittens. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

December

The average temperature in December is -13 degrees Celsius, so you should bring your warmest winter clothing. It is full winter in November, and when the wind is blowing, it can quickly reach an effective temperature of under -20 degrees Celsius. The normal recommendation is to use thin wool against you skin, an insulating middle layer of wool or fleece, and then your winter jacket and pants on the outside. In addition, you will need warm shoes, neck gaiter, hat and mittens. It is also a good idea to have lighter shoes to wear indoors, as the local tradition is to leave your shoes at the entrance of the hotels.

What you should know
Hurtigruten Svalbard uses cookies to improve your experience of our digital services. By continuing to use this site, you accept the use of cookies. Read our Cookie Policy if you want to know more or disable cookies. Read more about our privacy policy