Svolvær (Lofoten) weather in March

March in Svolvær: freezing, soaked, with clean air — not the time — 19 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Svolvær🇳🇴 Norway · Lapland & the Arctic · Island39
  1. 14Jan
  2. 25Feb
  3. 39Mar
  4. 57Apr
  5. 64May
  6. 75Jun
  7. 81Jul
  8. 69Aug
  9. 53Sep
  10. 33Oct
  11. 19Nov
  12. 12Dec

#7 of 12 months in Svolvær · #1395 of 1413 destinations to visit in March · comfort 39/100 (tier F)

Days
3°C
Nights
-1°C
Wet days
19
Sun
6.6 h
Humidity
76%
Daylight
12 h
Svolvær, Norway
Photo: Tobias Bjørkli · Pexels

Traveller notes on Svolvær in March

Other months in Svolvær

Lofoten-forum threads on November weather are blunt that it's not the easiest month to visit: posters cite roughly twenty-five days out of thirty carrying some rain, storms common enough that ferries get cancelled outright when conditions turn, and daylight already thin as the islands head into the polar night. Snow is likely, though more reliably found up in the mountains than at sea level this early, mid-elevation temperatures a couple of degrees below freezing on an average day. The standing advice on foot is to know where the nearest indoor shelter is, since a bus wait in a sudden squall with nowhere to duck into is a commonly reported problem. Regulars call November a month for genuine flexibility, not a fixed itinerary. The record: a raw 5.2C by day dropping to 1.7C at night, 293mm across 19.5 days, 15cm of fresh snowfall, wind averaging over 33 km/h and under 5 hours of daylight - stormy and dark exactly as the forum describes.
LofotenNovemberDriver · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Lofoten-forum threads on February travel are consistent that it's one of the coldest, darkest months of the year here - daylight hours still short, snowstorms genuinely likely at this latitude, and posters warn conditions can turn unpleasant with little notice. Driving threads flag freezing rain as the worst-case scenario on the island roads, worse than plain snow, and the standing advice is to build slack into any itinerary: delay a departure rather than push through deteriorating weather, and avoid arriving somewhere after dark. Regulars are candid that limited daylight and cloud cover cut into how much of the dramatic scenery a visitor actually gets to see, though a clear night still offers a real shot at the northern lights. The record: a frigid 2.4C by day dropping to -1.3C at night, 226mm across 18.6 days, 36cm of fresh snowfall, wind averaging over 36 km/h, just 2.5 hours of sun and under 8 hours of daylight - cold, stormy, and genuinely dark.
LofotenFebruaryDriver · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Lofoten-forum threads on May weather are consistent that it's not yet spring up here: still cold enough for snow patches on north-facing hills, occasional stormy stretches, and posters call the whole month genuinely unpredictable rather than settled. Ground-level frost is uncommon, but the highest summits keep their snow well into the month, closing some routes. More than one thread simply recommends June over May for anyone who can shift their dates, citing steadier conditions once the season properly turns. The standing advice either way is to stay flexible rather than lock in a detailed plan that weather might force you to abandon. The record: 9.7C days feeling like 6C, 4.5C nights, 157mm across 14.6 days, 4cm of late snowfall, a 5.6C sea, wind averaging nearly 29 km/h and over 21 hours of daylight - cold, stormy, and still closer to winter than summer.
LofotenNotYetSpring · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
August in Lofoten is the month after the midnight sun - it ends in mid-July, so by mid-August it is going properly dark again at night, though the evenings stay light late. On the weather regulars are unsentimental: late August runs 11 to 13C and rain is more or less guaranteed, which our row backs at 227.3mm across 17.1 precipitation days, the wettest figure in this whole round. Their consolation is how fast it turns - heavy rain in the morning routinely gives way to a beautiful afternoon and back again, which catches out hikers who set off on the forecast. With Norway, as one of them puts it, it comes down to luck. The record: 16.4C days that feel like 15C, 11.4C nights, a 27.8 kph wind and 17.4 hours of daylight.
RainIsMoreOrLessGuaranteed · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Svolvær climate normals — March

Daytime high3°C / 38°F🥶 freezing
Nighttime low-1°C / 30°F
Feels like (high)-2°C / 28°F
Sea temperature4°C / 38°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall214 mm / 8.4 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days19 days
Humidity76%💦 very humid
Dew point-4°C / 25°F
Sunshine6.6 h/day
Daylight11.8 h
Wind36 km/h / 22 mph
Snowfall38.7 cm / 15.2 in
Air quality (US AQI)40🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Svolvær in March

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsWorld Cod Fishing Championship, Easter break in Norway, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Svolvær's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Fair weatherSvolvær's weather peaks June–August, best around July.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Svolvær in March

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Skrei season

    15 Jan – 20 Apr · usuallyForaging season

    The Arctic cod come down to spawn and the whole of Lofoten works around it from January to April. The drying racks fill, the harbour is busy at four in the morning, and the smell is part of the deal.

  • Festival

    World Cod Fishing Championship

    10–30 Mar · usuallySporting eventCrowded

    Hundreds of boats go out from Svolvaer over one March weekend to weigh cod, and the town treats it as its winter festival. Entry is open; the sea decides whether it sails. Source ↗

  • Nature

    Aurora season

    10 Sep – 5 Apr · usually

    Well inside the auroral zone from September to early April, and the mountains across the Vestfjord give it something to sit behind. Atlantic cloud is the limiting factor, not latitude.

  • Hazard

    Winter gales

    15 Oct – 15 Mar · usuallyStorm seasonClosures

    Atlantic lows shut the mountain passes on the E10 and cancel the small-plane flights into Svolvaer for a day at a time. Allow slack either side of a flight out. Source ↗

  • Season

    Snow season

    Ski season

    About 39 cm of snow falls in the month.

    from the climate normals

What's on around the world in March →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Svolvær — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Svolvær?

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Svolvær in March — FAQ

Is March a good time to visit Svolvær?
March in Svolvær: freezing, soaked, with clean air — not the time — 19 rainy days. It ranks #7 of 12 months for Svolvær on SeasonMap's comfort score (39/100).
What is the weather like in Svolvær in March?
In March, Svolvær averages a daily high of 3.3°C and a low of -1.3°C, with about 214.2 mm of rain over roughly 18.8 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Svolvær in March?
Svolvær has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 40 in March.
Does it snow in Svolvær in March?
Svolvær sees roughly 38.7 cm of snowfall in March.

Within 300 km: Tromsø's Aurora season around 15 Sep – 5 Apr.