Polar & highland · Svalbard & Jan Mayen

Longyearbyen weather, year by year

In Longyearbyen, the year averages -4.6 °C, from -15.1 °C on March nights to 8.1 °C on July afternoons. 2016 still holds the title of warmest year since 1940.

YearYear 2025

Mean tempMean temp -2.2 °C

vs normalvs normal +2.4 °C

RankRank 2/86

Tap or slide over the stripes to flip the year

The climate of Longyearbyen

July is the warmest month (highs around 8.1 °C) and March the coldest (lows around -15.1 °C). About 418 mm of precipitation falls each year.

Average low → highPrecipitation (mm)Normal 1991–2020

Every year in Longyearbyen since 1940, ranked

Pick a measure and line up all 86 years against the 1991–2020 normal. 2025 ranks 2 of 86 (+2.4 °C).

194019832025

2025 · -2.2 °C · +2.4 °C vs normal · rank 2 of 86

Warmest years

12016-0.5 °C
22025-2.2 °C
32018-2.4 °C
42023-2.4 °C
52012-2.6 °C

Coldest years

11968-10.1 °C
21966-9.9 °C
31963-9.8 °C
41951-9.8 °C
51988-9.3 °C

All 86 years in a table

Year	Mean temperature	Daytime highs	Night lows	Precipitation	Frost days	Snowfall	Rainy days
2025	-2.2 °C	-0.7 °C	-3.8 °C	442 mm	228 days	198 cm	124 days
2024	-2.8 °C	-1.2 °C	-4.5 °C	554 mm	234 days	209 cm	149 days
2023	-2.4 °C	-0.8 °C	-4.2 °C	573 mm	252 days	291 cm	136 days
2022	-2.8 °C	-1.2 °C	-4.5 °C	540 mm	221 days	211 cm	137 days
2021	-3.3 °C	-1.9 °C	-4.9 °C	366 mm	238 days	204 cm	91 days
2020	-4.1 °C	-2.4 °C	-5.9 °C	428 mm	226 days	206 cm	112 days
2019	-4.1 °C	-2.5 °C	-5.8 °C	324 mm	249 days	192 cm	78 days
2018	-2.4 °C	-0.9 °C	-4.0 °C	582 mm	227 days	291 cm	124 days
2017	-2.9 °C	-1.4 °C	-4.6 °C	378 mm	224 days	198 cm	91 days
2016	-0.5 °C	0.8 °C	-2.0 °C	550 mm	195 days	229 cm	109 days
2015	-2.9 °C	-1.3 °C	-4.5 °C	496 mm	241 days	286 cm	105 days
2014	-3.1 °C	-1.6 °C	-4.8 °C	359 mm	244 days	228 cm	93 days
2013	-4.5 °C	-2.8 °C	-6.3 °C	418 mm	241 days	184 cm	99 days
2012	-2.6 °C	-1.0 °C	-4.2 °C	476 mm	244 days	280 cm	108 days
2011	-3.9 °C	-2.2 °C	-5.8 °C	500 mm	234 days	283 cm	111 days
2010	-4.4 °C	-2.9 °C	-6.1 °C	372 mm	231 days	232 cm	87 days
2009	-4.0 °C	-2.4 °C	-5.7 °C	390 mm	247 days	272 cm	90 days
2008	-4.6 °C	-2.8 °C	-6.4 °C	406 mm	249 days	256 cm	91 days
2007	-3.8 °C	-2.3 °C	-5.5 °C	434 mm	251 days	298 cm	91 days
2006	-2.9 °C	-1.4 °C	-4.5 °C	437 mm	236 days	285 cm	109 days
2005	-3.8 °C	-2.2 °C	-5.6 °C	433 mm	259 days	289 cm	106 days
2004	-4.8 °C	-3.1 °C	-6.6 °C	460 mm	255 days	289 cm	117 days
2003	-6.7 °C	-5.0 °C	-8.6 °C	317 mm	259 days	195 cm	80 days
2002	-5.3 °C	-3.5 °C	-7.1 °C	351 mm	245 days	212 cm	89 days
2001	-5.5 °C	-3.7 °C	-7.2 °C	394 mm	257 days	209 cm	104 days
2000	-4.8 °C	-3.2 °C	-6.5 °C	425 mm	253 days	225 cm	97 days
1999	-4.7 °C	-3.1 °C	-6.4 °C	351 mm	254 days	197 cm	92 days
1998	-6.8 °C	-4.9 °C	-8.6 °C	293 mm	268 days	220 cm	69 days
1997	-6.7 °C	-4.8 °C	-8.7 °C	367 mm	265 days	215 cm	96 days
1996	-5.5 °C	-3.8 °C	-7.5 °C	568 mm	263 days	300 cm	134 days
1995	-7.0 °C	-5.3 °C	-9.0 °C	350 mm	251 days	224 cm	86 days
1994	-6.6 °C	-4.8 °C	-8.6 °C	358 mm	275 days	222 cm	91 days
1993	-6.9 °C	-4.9 °C	-9.1 °C	487 mm	262 days	298 cm	104 days
1992	-5.8 °C	-4.1 °C	-7.6 °C	386 mm	257 days	255 cm	101 days
1991	-5.9 °C	-4.0 °C	-7.9 °C	447 mm	264 days	315 cm	94 days
1990	-4.5 °C	-2.9 °C	-6.2 °C	398 mm	243 days	247 cm	90 days
1989	-7.0 °C	-5.1 °C	-8.9 °C	378 mm	261 days	218 cm	99 days
1988	-9.3 °C	-7.4 °C	-11.4 °C	297 mm	263 days	190 cm	74 days
1987	-7.1 °C	-5.3 °C	-9.1 °C	359 mm	262 days	265 cm	83 days
1986	-6.9 °C	-5.0 °C	-8.9 °C	423 mm	256 days	250 cm	96 days
1985	-5.8 °C	-4.1 °C	-7.6 °C	326 mm	259 days	231 cm	83 days
1984	-3.7 °C	-2.0 °C	-5.6 °C	454 mm	245 days	275 cm	113 days
1983	-7.4 °C	-5.7 °C	-9.3 °C	347 mm	274 days	218 cm	93 days
1982	-7.6 °C	-5.8 °C	-9.5 °C	277 mm	285 days	196 cm	79 days
1981	-7.8 °C	-5.9 °C	-9.8 °C	396 mm	272 days	242 cm	88 days
1980	-7.8 °C	-5.8 °C	-9.8 °C	435 mm	268 days	251 cm	93 days
1979	-8.1 °C	-6.2 °C	-10.2 °C	344 mm	266 days	225 cm	79 days
1978	-7.7 °C	-5.9 °C	-9.6 °C	422 mm	271 days	225 cm	105 days
1977	-7.0 °C	-5.4 °C	-8.8 °C	411 mm	270 days	221 cm	103 days
1976	-5.2 °C	-3.6 °C	-7.0 °C	630 mm	266 days	319 cm	148 days
1975	-7.5 °C	-5.9 °C	-9.1 °C	436 mm	274 days	254 cm	118 days
1974	-4.1 °C	-2.6 °C	-5.8 °C	494 mm	256 days	272 cm	139 days
1973	-7.0 °C	-5.4 °C	-8.7 °C	423 mm	280 days	209 cm	119 days
1972	-4.1 °C	-2.6 °C	-5.8 °C	682 mm	255 days	305 cm	164 days
1971	-8.0 °C	-6.5 °C	-9.6 °C	428 mm	265 days	231 cm	113 days
1970	-7.2 °C	-5.7 °C	-8.8 °C	416 mm	269 days	209 cm	115 days
1969	-7.5 °C	-5.8 °C	-9.1 °C	459 mm	273 days	247 cm	120 days
1968	-10.1 °C	-8.6 °C	-11.7 °C	348 mm	297 days	182 cm	84 days
1967	-7.4 °C	-5.7 °C	-9.1 °C	567 mm	281 days	288 cm	128 days
1966	-9.9 °C	-8.1 °C	-11.7 °C	429 mm	307 days	241 cm	115 days
1965	-8.4 °C	-6.7 °C	-10.3 °C	370 mm	312 days	225 cm	104 days
1964	-6.8 °C	-5.0 °C	-8.8 °C	612 mm	292 days	370 cm	147 days
1963	-9.8 °C	-8.0 °C	-11.8 °C	346 mm	306 days	184 cm	102 days
1962	-9.0 °C	-7.2 °C	-11.0 °C	404 mm	313 days	254 cm	107 days
1961	-7.2 °C	-5.4 °C	-9.0 °C	520 mm	282 days	265 cm	114 days
1960	-6.7 °C	-4.8 °C	-8.6 °C	499 mm	268 days	267 cm	120 days
1959	-6.9 °C	-4.9 °C	-8.8 °C	526 mm	284 days	312 cm	132 days
1958	-7.8 °C	-6.0 °C	-9.8 °C	447 mm	293 days	222 cm	112 days
1957	-6.9 °C	-5.2 °C	-8.8 °C	414 mm	270 days	235 cm	115 days
1956	-5.6 °C	-3.9 °C	-7.8 °C	483 mm	295 days	288 cm	115 days
1955	-8.1 °C	-6.4 °C	-10.0 °C	329 mm	274 days	147 cm	85 days
1954	-5.7 °C	-4.0 °C	-7.6 °C	421 mm	275 days	230 cm	108 days
1953	-7.6 °C	-5.9 °C	-9.3 °C	611 mm	290 days	326 cm	131 days
1952	-8.1 °C	-6.4 °C	-9.8 °C	457 mm	285 days	239 cm	125 days
1951	-9.8 °C	-8.1 °C	-11.5 °C	389 mm	302 days	231 cm	112 days
1950	-7.1 °C	-5.5 °C	-8.8 °C	488 mm	288 days	277 cm	118 days
1949	-8.1 °C	-6.4 °C	-9.8 °C	481 mm	320 days	293 cm	112 days
1948	-8.9 °C	-7.1 °C	-10.8 °C	552 mm	297 days	337 cm	131 days
1947	-7.7 °C	-6.2 °C	-9.4 °C	407 mm	283 days	182 cm	115 days
1946	-8.0 °C	-6.4 °C	-9.8 °C	400 mm	291 days	211 cm	109 days
1945	-8.7 °C	-6.9 °C	-10.4 °C	468 mm	295 days	226 cm	114 days
1944	-6.5 °C	-4.9 °C	-8.1 °C	546 mm	283 days	283 cm	135 days
1943	-8.9 °C	-7.2 °C	-10.6 °C	428 mm	302 days	229 cm	111 days
1942	-8.2 °C	-6.7 °C	-9.8 °C	430 mm	285 days	231 cm	103 days
1941	-8.8 °C	-7.2 °C	-10.5 °C	432 mm	292 days	206 cm	123 days
1940	-8.0 °C	-6.5 °C	-9.5 °C	419 mm	277 days	236 cm	110 days

Year vs year

Pick two years and let them fight it out in Longyearbyen: month by month, point by point.

First year2025

Second year2016

In Longyearbyen, 2016 beats 2025 by 1.7 °C on mean temperature.

20252016Normal 1991–2020

2points3

-2.2 °CWarmer-0.5 °C
228 daysFrost days195 days
442 mmWetter550 mm
198 cmSnowier229 cm
699 kWh/m²Sunnier657 kWh/m²

Records in Longyearbyen

The most extreme days and years since 1940.

Hottest day

18.6 °C

August 8, 2024 estimate

Coldest night

-39.6 °C

February 28, 1979 estimate

Wettest day

38 mm

November 7, 2016 estimate

Snowiest day

23 cm

November 10, 1964 estimate

Strongest gust

129 km/h

November 15, 1985 estimate

Year records

Warmest2016-0.5 °C
Coldest1968-10.1 °C
Wettest1972682 mm
Driest1982277 mm

The weather on your birthday in Longyearbyen

Any day since 1940: high, low, rain, snow, and how warm it was compared with the same date in every other year.

Longyearbyen vs another city

Compare with

Longyearbyen is cooler than Nuuk by 2.6 °C on average over the year. Longyearbyen gets 359 mm less precipitation per year. In Longyearbyen, no month is warmer.

LongyearbyenNuukBand: average low to average high

Questions & answers

What is the climate like in Longyearbyen?

Longyearbyen averages -4.6 °C over the year. The warmest month is July, with highs around 8.1 °C; the coldest is March, with lows around -15.1 °C. About 418 mm of precipitation falls each year, over some 99 rainy days.

What was the warmest year in Longyearbyen?

2016, at +4.1 °C compared with the 1991–2020 normal. The coldest was 1968. Out of 86 years since 1940, 2025 ranks 2.

What is the wettest month in Longyearbyen?

November gets the most precipitation and June the least. The wettest year was 1972, the driest 1982.

Is Longyearbyen getting warmer?

Compared with its first thirty years on record (from 1940), the last ten years in Longyearbyen show a gap of +5.2 °C in mean temperature.

More cities to explore

NuukGreenland-2.0 °C 2010

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UshuaiaArgentina5.5 °C 2021