Winter in Greenland

Many songs have been written about the beauty of winter, and we find this very understandable. You can experience a magical winter wonderland, a landscape, where snow and ice will give you a glimpse of something almost supernatural. Also, in Greenland, you can experience the most beautiful northern lights, dancing on the sky in a lavish explosion of colors and shapes.

The magnificent glow of the northern lights

You will never forget the sight of the northern lights. It is so beautiful and strange to see the flashes of light dance across the dark sky. The northern lights can move slowly and lazily across the sky, but it can also explode, jump, and create amazing patterns. It is almost as if someone up there is playing with a large luminous necklace that moves around on a glass plate.

Throw yourself in the snow under the northern lights, look up and enjoy what you see as if you were a child once more. And while you are laying there, make an angel in the snow! There is no reason not to.

The delight of dog sledding

You can’t say the word Greenland without thinking about dog sledding. Greenland and dog sledding are so closely interconnected in people’s consciousness. In Greenland, you can experience the dog sleds in East Greenland and all the towns and settlements north of the Polar Circle in West Greenland.

Although there are fewer dogs than before, in the northern towns, you will know they are there. It is so amazing when the dogs start their howling concerts!

When you get out on the dog sled, you experience what the Inuit have experienced for over a thousand years. In front of you, you have a bunch of sled dogs eagerly pulling the sled, while you and the driver can hear the sound of the sled gliding on the snow below you.

Dog sledding in Greenland is a truly unique experience, and the short one or two hour trips give you a taste of moving forward on this incredible form of transport. If you are not going to East or North Greenland, but Nuuk for instance, you can still try these trips on a stop-over in Kangerlussuaq if you plan ahead.

Snow lights up the winter darkness

When we write texts about Greenland, we are inclined to boast about the midnight sun. It is so crazy that the summer sun is there in the sky 24/7. The backside of the medal is, of course, that there are other times of the year where the sun simply does not appear in the sky. Even the sun decides it’s too cold and goes away from North Greenland during winter.

The fact that the sun is not in the sky does not mean that you experience constant darkness. The landscape is covered by the most beautiful white snow. The moon and the stars, as well as the street lights, cast light on the white snow that reflects the light. It has become more and more popular to go to Greenland in the dark months because you use your senses differently and relax more.

The land without dog sleds

Knud Rasmussen said, “Give me winter, give me dogs – then you can keep the rest,” and you will find that quote in any tourist text about Greenland. Also here, as you can see. In South Greenland, they will probably say, “Keep you only dogs, mate,” for ferocious sled dogs and helpless lambs is a bad mix.

The snowy scenery in the south is no less impressive than in the north, but don’t expect to see sled dogs as sled dogs are only allowed north of the Arctic Circle. In the south, the northern lights are more often greenish or white while, in the north, they can also be red.

When should I travel?

The best months for winter holidays in Greenland are from late January to early May. You come in a period where there is sunshine during the day, and it is also warmer than in the coldest months. You may experience 5-20 degrees of frost, and we will not lie and tell you that it is not cold. However, the cold is different from most other places that are placed further south on the globe, as the air in Greenland is very dry.

Temperatures in Greenland

The temperatures vary in Greenland over the year, and the Arctic winter can offer quite refreshing temperatures. In other words, it can get very cold!

The air is dry in Greenland, so even a few degrees of warmer weather feel much warmer than anywhere else in the world with greater humidity. Conversely, the cold temperatures do not feel as cold as on a stormy autumn day in a lot of other places.

The seasons in Greenland