Looks like winter on Iceland's first day of summer
The first day of summer parade is most often led by the scout movement. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Sigurður Jónsson
Icelanders are extremely optimistic when it comes to celebrate the first day of summer. Sumardagurinn fyrsti, the first day of summer is on the first Thursday after 18 April. This year it’s 20 April that is crowned the first day of summer.
As it happens, summer hasn’t really arrived in Iceland so early. There is what seems to be a long standing tradition of bad weather on that very day. Often snowing or raining and windy as people march in parades in pretty much every town in Iceland.
Temperatures below zero in North Iceland
This year seems to be no exception. “It looks like winter, the weather forecast doesn’t show any sign of spring,” says meteorologist Þorsteinn V. Jónsson.
As the weather forecast stands today, the temperatures will be below zero in northern part of Iceland, and snowing in places. Temperatures will be slightly above zero in southern part of Iceland, but raining in places and rather windy.
Good summer ahead, according to folklore
That might not be so bad though. According to folklore, if there is frost on the night between the last day of winter and the first day of summer, the summer will be warm.
And yes you read correctly, the last day of winter is the day before the first day of summer. The traditional Icelandic calendar only has two seasons, skipping autumn and spring alltogether.
