Excited For Autumn In Iceland? Too Bad, Winter Is Coming

You may have seen some of Grapevine’s posts on the beauty of autumn in Iceland. While the autumnal equinox will not actually get here until September 23, winterish conditions may descend upon us before autumn even has a chance to begin.

The Icelandic Met Office has posted a yellow alert for Wednesday, which could spell snow for the northern parts of the country.

“On Wednesday, northerly 15-23 m/s is forecast, strongest wind in the southeast part in the evening,” the alert reads in part. “The northerly wind brings precipitation to the north and east parts of Iceland, from the Westfjords to the Eastfjords. The precipitation is expected to be mostly rain, but sleet or snow more than 500-600 meters above sea level.”

Snow and rain will likely continue in the north after Wednesday, especially on mountain passes, making driving through the area during that time particularly treacherous.

Not that those of us in the south should feel smug. As the alert states, in south Iceland “strong winds near mountains can be hazardous to vehicles susceptible to wind, and loose objects can be blown away. Blowing sand is possible in the southeast part in the evening.”

Just how bad the winds and the precipitation will get still remains to be seen, but if you’re enjoying the autumn colours in Iceland, better take lots of pictures. After Wednesday, they may be but a memory.

The post Excited For Autumn In Iceland? Too Bad, Winter Is Coming appeared first on The Reykjavik Grapevine.