‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,’ the saying goes, so when planning a January trip to Tromso above the Arctic Circle, it seemed important to make sure that we were correctly equipped for the occasion. Based on our research and trip experience, here are some tips and advice about what to wear in Tromso in winter.
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Winter weather in Tromso
Sitting above the Arctic Circle (approximately 66° 33’ North), there’s no escape from the fact that the weather in Tromso in winter will be cold. However, as the city of Tromso is protected by the Gulf Stream, it stays slightly warmer in downtown, than in the mountains or coastal areas beyond. On average, the weather in Tromso averages –6°C in January.
So, if you’re planning to join any night safari tours to search for Northern Lights, or explore beyond the city centre, you should prepare for winter temperatures as low as –20 °C.
Sometimes the weather in Tromso in winter is dry and cold (which was our experience in January), and sometimes it can be snowy, windy or stormy. The weather can change quickly, so prepare for the worst and be grateful if you get lucky with cold, crisp, clear skies.
So, thinking about what to pack for the Arctic weather is an essential part of your trip planning for a Tromso city break in winter to see the Northern Lights. If you get too cold, then it will affect your enjoyment of the trip – for me, it’s functionality over fashion every time!
For more information on Northern Lights safari tours, check out my blog What to expect on a Northern Lights photography tour in Tromso, Norway.
Clothing recommendations
Layers are your friend – the key to warm dressing in Tromso in winter is to layer up correctly, but not necessarily as many layers as you might think. I was prepared to dress ‘like an onion’ with lots of layers, but only needed 3 or 4 good quality layers,as follows:
Base layers
Merino wool base layers – perhaps the most important investment you can make. If you wear breathable wool next to your skin, it allows moisture through, so sweat doesn’t get trapped next to your skin, which then cools down and makes you cold. In contrast, cotton layers trap any moisture close to your body, making you chilly when it cools.
The ideal merino wool thermals to pack are:
- Merino wool thermal long-sleeved vest(s) and
- Merino wood thermal long johns.
We bought ours from IceBreakers in the sale. The ones with a collar and half-zip are great as they help to keep your neck warm and reduce any gaps where the wind can get in.
Secondary layer
Fleece – wear a warm fleece on top of your thermal base layer. I took a thinner fleece for the daytime and a thicker one for the Northern Lights night tours when it was colder.
T-shirt – if required as everyone feels the cold differently, pop a t-shirt over your thermals and under your fleece for an extra layer of warmth.
Top outer layer
Warm jacket – a good quality, warm, and ideally, waterproof jacket.
Check the weather forecast – if the weather forecast shows cold and dry weather for your dates, then a puffa jacket should work well over your other layers. However, puffa jackets are not great if they get wet, so if the forecast is for rain or heavy snow, then aim to pack something more waterproof.
Bottom half
Warm and waterproof trousers – a pair of waterproof ski salopettes will help to keep you dry and warm over your base layer long john thermals.
Head and neck coverings
Don’t leave home without a woolly hat and scarf of some description.
Beanie hats – preferable to bobble hats, as bobbles get in the way of your jacket hood when needed, for example, at the top of the Fjellheisen Cable Car where it’s often windy.
Snoods – are great to keep your neck cosy and easier to manage than scarves when your hands are in gloves or mittens. They are also useful for face protection in cold, icy winds.
Earmuffs – an excellent way to keep your ears warm and popular ‘fashion’ accessory over beanie hats!
Hand Warmers
Gloves or Mittens? That is the question…
Mittens – are said to keep your hands warmer as they trap the warm air inside around your fingers more than gloves. Most of the time, we wore fingerless woollen gloves inside mittens, which worked very well.
Gloves – are more useful if you’re taking photos and need to operate phones or cameras.
Hand warmers – we found that we didn’t need hand warmers inside our gloves or mittens during the day, however they were very welcome on the evening Northern Lights tours when it was colder.
Footwear
Waterproof winter boots – take a pair of good quality waterproof boots to Tromso in winter, with strong grips which can deal with all kinds of winter weather such as ice, snow and potentially wet conditions.
Merino wool socks – wear merino wool socks on your feet under your boots. I only wore one pair of wool socks, and my feet were warm enough. Whilst I didn’t need layers of socks, pack a few extra pairs just in case you need them due to the conditions when you travel. Better to have a spare pair in your backpack as an option if your feet are cold – everyone has different circulation patterns!
Foot warmers – pack some foot warmers, or heated insoles, for those occasions where you might be standing around in the snow for a while, such as on a Northern Lights safari tour.
Shoe spikes or chains – depending on the conditions when you visit Tromso in winter, you might benefit from using spikes or chains on your boots to prevent slipping. The conditions when we visited in January were snowy rather than icy, so we didn’t need spikes and managed not to fall over!
Inside shoes – don’t forget to pack comfy trainers, sliders for slippers or the hotel, as you’ll be desperate to get your heavy winter boots off when you’re inside.
Tip from a tour guide
On a tour of the Arctic Fjords, Sommeroya and Kvaloya, our guide told us to take jackets and scarves off in the minibus to prevent overheating and getting hot and sweaty. This is to avoid the sweat cooling down and lowering the body temperature, which is disadvantageous when you’re going outside in Arctic temperatures.
Electrical and camera equipment
Phone and camera batteries – your phone and camera battery may die quickly in the cold Arctic temperatures outside, so take a charged battery pack for your phone with you, and a spare charged camera battery (if relevant) as back-up. Alternatively schedule a quiet hour at your accommodation to recharge your phone, and yourself.
Tripod – if you plan to photograph the Northern Lights with a manual camera then don’t forget to pack your tripod. Some of the tour companies say they will lend you one, but the guides are busy managing a bus full of people so this offer can get lost – take your own if needed and at least you can be certain that it will attach to your camera.
Drone – leave your drone at home as they are banned and it will be confiscated.
Keeping costs down
Unless you’re a regular skier, or lover of snowy holidays, with all the gear in your closet, then you might need to buy quite a lot of kit for your trip to Tromso in winter. It can become expensive to buy everything in one go, so here are some ways to keep costs down:
- Hire your shoe spikes or chains, rather than buying them.
- Tromso Outdoor, a shop downtown, has a daily rental option (32 NOK, around £2.50 per day).
- Buy your merino wool thermals in the early January sales or summer sales ready to use the following winter.
- Borrow big items like jackets or salopettes from friends.
- Look for bargains at shops such as TK Maxx, or at secondhand Ski Wear sales.
Once you have all the kit then at least you have it for another cold winter trip.
Skiing anyone?
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