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Thanks to the Gulf Stream (and global warming?), Tallinn's climate is a lot milder than you might think after seeing it on a map. Yes, it gets damn cold in the winter with every lake and stream around freezing for months (obliging you ice cricketeers), as well as the hairs in your nose and any other exposed extremity. But really, it's not much worse than the other Baltic states. January and February see their share of -10 degree days, however, with the average being around -5 degrees centigrade. But while it may not be that much colder in Tallinn than in Riga or Vilnius, it is significantly darker in the winter, thanks to the 'polar night' phenomenon. That is, very late sunrises and early sunsets which conspire to create incredibly short days and oh-so long nights in winter. Tallinners have been known to have a predisposition toward seasonal depression as a result, but Tallinn Life doesn't subscribe to the concept of this ailment (so stop whining).
Inversely, in the summer Tallinn experiences the 'white nights' similarly to Saint Petersburg (the two cities are at practically the same latitude). At the peak of this phenomenon in June, the sun can still be seen in the sky as late as 23:00. If you plan to sleep in during summer, you may want to draw the blinds before bed. Tallinn summer days are absolutely lovely, averaging around +15 in June and July and rarely exceeding +20. Due to the humid zone in which Estonia is situated there are around 180 rainy days a year, so check with us here before heading out for the day. | | |
