Learning a new language can be as unpredictable as the weather, but becoming familiar with weather-related vocabulary is a great way to expand your knowledge and start engaging in day-to-day conversations. In this article, we will explore various weather-related Finnish words and phrases that will help you describe weather conditions like a native Finn.

Sää
Sää means “weather” in Finnish. It’s a crucial word to start any weather-related conversation.
Millainen sää tänään on?

Aurinkoinen
When the sun is shining bright, Finns describe the weather as aurinkoinen, which means “sunny.”
Onpa kaunis, aurinkoinen päivä tänään!

Pilvinen
A cloudy sky is referred to as pilvinen. It can signify a completely overcast sky or one with lots of clouds.
Taivas on todella pilvinen, sataakohan kohta?

Sade
Sade is the Finnish word for “rain.” Mentioning sade usually suggests that you should bring an umbrella when heading out.
Ota sateenvarjo, ulkona sataa.

Lumi
In Finland, with its snowy winters, the word for “snow” is lumi. It is an essential part of the Finnish language and culture.
Katso, kuinka paljon lunta on satanut yön aikana!

Pakkanen
Pakkanen refers to “frost” or “freezing” temperatures. The word is often used when temperatures drop below zero degrees Celsius.
Tänä aamuna on kova pakkanen, joten pidä lämpimästi.

Tuuli
Tuuli simply means “wind.” It can describe a gentle breeze or a strong gust.
Tuuli tuntuu kylmältä tänään, parempi ottaa takki.

Ukkonen
Ukkonen translates to “thunder,” and it’s particularly relevant when talking about storms.
Voimakas ukkonen jytisee taivaalla.

Salamoi
When there is lightning, Finns say salamoi. This verb describes the action of lightning flashing across the sky.
Katso ikkunasta, kun ulkona salamoi!

Kosteus
Kosteus is the Finnish word for “humidity.” It is used to describe the amount of moisture in the air.
Ilmassa on korkea kosteus, tukalaa!

Sumu
The Finnish term for “fog” is sumu. It is especially common in autumn and can be quite thick.
Aja varovasti, tiellä on paljon sumua.

Rakeita
Rakeita means “hail.” It’s not as common as sade (rain), but it’s worth knowing when you encounter those ice pellets falling from the sky.
Nyt sataa rakeita, joten pysytään sisällä.

Myrsky
A “storm” in Finnish is called a myrsky. This word is used for describing severe weather conditions.
Viime yönä myrsky kaatoi puita.

Auringonlasku
This beautiful phenomenon is called auringonlasku in Finnish, meaning “sunset.”
Auringonlasku oli tänään erityisen kaunis.

Auringonnousu
Conversely, auringonnousu means “sunrise” and is just as enchanting to behold.
Heräsin aikaisin nähdäkseni auringonnousun.

Ennuste
To talk about the “forecast,” you use the word ennuste. It helps in planning the week ahead.
Ilmatieteen laitoksen ennusteen mukaan huomenna sataa.

Understanding these Finnish weather-related words and phrases will not only enrich your vocabulary but also equip you to engage in everyday conversations about the weather, a universal topic. So, the next time you find yourself in Finland or speaking with a Finn, you’ll be ready to chat about the sää, whether it’s aurinkoinen or myrskyinen!