A very wintry November weekend

It’s 9th and 10th of November. That sounds like autumn but it’s full winter in Skelleftehamn, although there is little snow. The temperatures this weekend are between -8 °C and -9 °C but the lively gusty wind makes it feel more like -18 °C.¹

I was out several times to check how long the winter has come.

Saturday

1 – Boat harbour Tjuvkistan

When I paddled by Tjuvkistan last Sunday I’m sure that there was open water. Now the whole harbour is covered with dark ice and snow is drifting over the frozen surface.

2 – Next to Tjuvkistan

Outside the harbour the sea is open, but each time a waves rolls ashore it leaves a bit of ice round the rocks and stones. The waves also have formed ice balls that drift back and forth in the cold water.

3 – Storgrundet

Last Sunday I had first to slide over the ice with my kayak, but then there was open water. Not anymore – the Sea between the island Storgrundet and the beach Storgrundet is completely icebound.

4 – River Skellefteälven

Right before the bridge, where the current is greatest, the water is open. The rest of the river seems to be covered with ice as well. (On Sunday I even see the first people on the ice, pretty far away from shore.)

5 – Näsgrundet

The sea water level is quite low: -50 cm. The slowly dropping water level and the waves leave icicles in different forms around the larger rocks. Days ago they were surrounded by water, now they are on dry land.

Sunday

6 – Näsgrundet

Yesterday there was mostly open water, not there are ice floes, turning and colliding in the waves. They build the so-called pancake ice. When it stays cold, it will freeze together.

7 – Away game: Bureå beach

The shallow bay by the camping ground in Bureå is partly covered with thick ice. It snows and the wind tugs at my fur-trimmed hood. 100 Meter away I see waves splashing against the ice shield building small hills of ice.

8 – Home game: Kallholmsfjärden

It’s round 18:00 and it would be pitch black if the industry of Rönnskär would not illuminate the low hanging snow clouds. I kneel in the water to make photos from the ice covered rocks and jetsam. The last photos of the weekend.

Here’s a map of the locations. Bureå is further south and not on the map.

¹ Skelleftehamn: -9 °C. If you think, that’s cold for early November check out that: Karesuando yesterday: -29.4 °C. That was surpassed today: Nikkaluokta: -34.5 °C!

 

5 comments to “A very wintry November weekend”

  1. Annika 2019-11-10 20:29

    <3 Freue mich auf zuhause!!!

  2. way-up-north 2019-11-10 20:33

    Das verstehe ich. Bei Dir liegt bestimmt auch Schnee, wenn Du ankommst.

  3. Johanna 2019-11-10 21:00

    Heute war ich den ganzen Tag wandern , es hatte 9° + , strahlend blauer Himmel , bunt gefärbte Bäume ….es war so schön , Herbsttag wie aus dem Bilderbuch. Am Abend sehen ich dann Deine Fotos und lese Deinen Bericht ……..kaum vorstellbar :-) und dabei bist Du doch gar nicht sooo weit weg ! Freue mich schon auf weitere Winter Impressionen . Liebe Grüße :-)

  4. way-up-north 2019-11-11 17:18

    Hej Johanna,

    die Wetterunterschiede finde ich hier am auffälligsten in den Übergangsjahreszeiten. Während in Deutschland der goldene Herbst leuchtet (oder es pladdert), kann hier schon richtiger Winter sein. Aber es ist eben auch 1100 – 1900 km nördlicher als Deutschland.

  5. Johanna 2019-11-11 20:32

    Ja, Olaf, dass sind die Fakten ! ich meinte aber, dass es insofern schwer vorstellbar ist ( für mich ) weil es einen kleinen Zauber beinhaltet und sowas muss ich einfach bestaunen :-)

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