Climate: Thanks to the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, Norway has a very mild climate compared to other countries at a similar latitude. The climate in Norway differs from that of the rest of Scandinavia, the tall mountain ranges dividing mainland Norway provide protection from precipitation to large areas of inland eastern Norway. Some of the areas east of the mountains have an annual rainfall of less than 300 mm. Most of the precipitation from the sea falls along the west coast of Norway, with some areas recording a maximum rainfall of 3000 mm annually. The largest amounts of precipitation are found some miles from the coast of Western Norway. In these areas most of the precipitation is received during autumn and winter. Showery precipitation occurs most frequently in the inner districts of Eastern Norway and Finnmark. Here summer is the wettest part of the year, and winter and spring the driest.  

The coldest months of the year are January and February. The interior highlands have an Arctic type of climate in winter with snow, strong winds and severe frosts, but during summer sometimes the daytime temperatures can rise above 30°C with long hours of sunshine. The warmest time in the inland areas is mid-July, July and August sometimes reach as high as 25°C - 30°C. Norway is the land of the midnight sun in the North Cape area, with 24-hr daylight from the middle of May to the end of July, during which the sun does not set. Conversely, there are long winter nights from the end of November to the end of January, during which the sun does not rise above the horizon and the northern lights, or aurora borealis, can be seen.