Alta weather by month & the best time to visit
Norway · seaside town · subarctic climate
The best time to visit Alta is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 52/100). Alta averages about 1,800 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 17°C / 63°F and roughly 111 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Alta?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Alta is July. The dullest month is January (0/100, 61 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Alta?
Alta gets a moderate 1,800 hours of sunshine a year. 52 Sunshine Score points separate July (52) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. Alta is the sunniest of the 36 destinations tracked in Norway. The year's 956 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | -5° / 23°F | -10° / 14°F | 61 mm | 0 | -1° / 30°F |
| February | 0 | -5° / 23°F | -10° / 14°F | 59 mm | 0 | -2° / 28°F |
| March | 0 | -1° / 30°F | -7° / 19°F | 72 mm | 1 | -1° / 30°F |
| April | 0 | 2° / 36°F | -3° / 27°F | 59 mm | 2 | 0° / 32°F |
| May | 0 | 6° / 43°F | 2° / 36°F | 82 mm | 3 | 6° / 43°F |
| June | 23 | 12° / 54°F | 7° / 45°F | 108 mm | 3 | 13° / 55°F |
| July | 52 | 17° / 63°F | 11° / 52°F | 111 mm | 3 | 17° / 63°F |
| August | 41 | 15° / 59°F | 9° / 48°F | 100 mm | 2 | 15° / 59°F |
| September | 12 | 10° / 50°F | 5° / 41°F | 82 mm | 1 | 12° / 54°F |
| October | 0 | 3° / 37°F | 0° / 32°F | 82 mm | 0 | 9° / 48°F |
| November | 0 | -1° / 30°F | -5° / 23°F | 67 mm | 0 | 6° / 43°F |
| December | 0 | -3° / 27°F | -8° / 18°F | 73 mm | 0 | 0° / 32°F |
Sea temperature in Alta by month
The sea off Alta is warmest in July at around 17°C / 63°F, and coolest in February at -2°C / 28°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Alta compares month by month: Alta vs Harstad/Narvik · Alta vs Tromsø · Alta vs Kittilä · Alta vs Ivalo · all comparisons
Alta: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Alta?
Alta is a seaside town in Norway with a subarctic climate — the sea reaches 17°C at its warmest.
How many hours of sunshine does Alta get a year?
Alta gets about 1,800 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Alta?
The sunniest time to visit Alta is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 52/100. Expect daytime highs around 17°C / 63°F.
What is the least sunny month in Alta?
January is the least sunny month in Alta, scoring 0/100 with about 61 mm of rain.
Is Alta the sunniest place in Norway?
Yes — with about 1,800 hours of sunshine a year, Alta has the most annual sunshine of the 46 Norway destinations tracked by Sunshine Atlas.
What is the sea temperature in Alta?
The sea in Alta ranges from about -2°C (February) to 17°C (July). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Alta?
The typical midday UV index in Alta peaks around 3 (moderate) in May, easing to about 0 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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