Ask a Finn when to go to Lapland, and many will say March or April. The snow is usually at its deepest, the days are long and bright, the sun has real warmth in it, and the nights are still dark enough for the northern lights. Finns even have a word for this season: kevättalvi, “spring winter”.

The light returns fast

After the polar night, daylight comes back quickly. In March the day grows by almost an hour every week. Around the spring equinox on 20 March, day and night are roughly the same length, and by mid-April Lapland has around 15 to 16 hours of daylight, with long evenings of golden light on the snow.

Nights are still dark in March, which makes it a good month for auroras, and the weeks around the equinox tend to be geomagnetically active. The aurora season ends around mid-April, when the nights become too light: a little earlier in the far north and a little later around Rovaniemi.

Deep snow and spring conditions

Snow is usually at its deepest in Lapland in late March or early April, often 60–90 cm in northern and eastern Finland and sometimes more on the fells. Conditions on ski trails and slopes are usually good, and snowmobile route networks are typically at their most extensive, conditions permitting.

In April something special happens: crust snow, hankikanto in Finnish. Sunny days melt the surface of the snow, and clear, frosty nights freeze it into a hard crust. On those mornings you can walk or ski almost anywhere across the snow, far off the trails, until the sun softens it again around midday.

Temperatures and sun

Early March can still be properly cold, −15 °C or lower. By April, days often rise to around freezing or above while nights stay below zero. The sun reflects off the snow with surprising strength, so bring:

  • sunglasses or ski goggles: snow blindness is a real risk on bright days
  • sunscreen for your face, even when it’s cold
  • layers you can take off during the day and put back on in the evening.

When it gets busy

Late winter is peak season for Finnish travellers. The school winter holidays are spread over three weeks from late February to mid-March, depending on the region, and Easter is a traditional Lapland week for many Finnish families. Prices and availability reflect this, so book early for those weeks. Right after Easter and in the second half of April it’s quieter, although some resort services start closing towards the end of the month.

What to do

  • Cross-country skiing is at its best. The fell resorts keep hundreds of kilometres of groomed trails, and Ylläs and Levi are known for their long networks.
  • Downhill skiing continues in the big resorts until late April or early May, depending on the year.
  • Ice fishing on frozen lakes: fishing with a simple rod through the ice is usually free for everyone, but not in the rapids and flowing stretches of salmon and trout waters or in other restricted areas. Only go out on ice that locals use.
  • Snowmobile and husky safaris run until the snow softens.
  • Music at Easter: Hetta Music Days in Enontekiö, which its organisers call the northernmost music festival in the EU, has been held at Easter since 1969.

Stays open in March · Stays open in April · Cabins and villas