From Iceland — New Year's Eve Weather: Very Cloudy, Very Rainy, Maybe Some Snow

New Year’s Eve Weather: Very Cloudy, Very Rainy, Maybe Some Snow

Published December 28, 2019

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
John Rogers

New Year’s Eve might not be very ideal fireworks weather, if the current weather forecast is anything to go by.

We’re only three days away from the end of 2019, and while that may be cause for celebration, the weather sure isn’t. December 31st will be marked by cloud cover and rain over most of the country, with slightly lighter cloud cover in the northeast.

Most crucially, at midnight—when fireworks reach their zenith as Icelanders explode hundreds of tonnes of powder over the country—the south and southwest will experience very heavy rains and think cloud cover. While temperatures will be at or slightly below freezing, winds will be light. Again, the only exception is the northeast, who are predicted to get lighter cloud cover but no rain when the clock strikes twelve.

The lack of wind may actually be the most troubling part of all this. As reported, we rely on the wind to blow away most of the air pollution that results from fireworks. The rain may play some part in doing away with the air pollution, but the heavy metals found in fireworks are not exactly easily washed away by a downpour.

All this being the case, there’s still nothing stopping you from having a great time indoors as you ring in 2020, whether this forecast bears fruition or otherwise.

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