Experiencing snow in Norway for the first time

The first thing that just about everyone who knows me personally said when I revealed I would be moving to Norway was ‘you know it is cold and snowing all the time, right?’ Four months in my study abroad, the temperatures finally hit subzero and the snow arrived.

When the temperatures were reaching just above zero every day starting from a couple weeks ago, snow became the topic on everyone’s lips at university. Everyone was excited, Norwegians and exchange students alike. Having only really experienced the minor snow in UK, my time in Tromsø was my first experience of actual snow. I felt like a child, my boyfriend spent most of our time there laughing as I would run and jump into knee-deep snow (not recommended when it is minus six).

I was worried that I would not experience Oslo in the snow as there had been two previous occasions where the weather forecast had a blip but finally it came and this is my thoughts on my first day of Oslo in the snow!

When it snows in the UK, the nation goes into a panic and the country usually comes to a standstill. As suspected for a Scandinavian country, they were prepared beforehand, gritting the roads and transport lines.

It was quite refreshing to be able to travel to the city in the snow, considering that the last time I did that in the UK, almost all of the trains were cancelled due to snow far minimal to that of here. That being said, it quite treacherous and everyone conversation with another person has begun with stories of almost slipping or falling!

SOGNSVANN

When the forecast indicated that snow was finally going to arrive in Oslo, myself and my flatmate, Rosa, made a pact that we would go to Sognsvann. An hour after it began to snow, we put on our thermals, scarfs, hats, gloves and snow boots and made our way to the lake.

I visited the lake the day before and noticed that the edges of the water had become completely iced. After seeing the lake in the height of summer brightness, I was excited to see the it snowy splendour.

Considering that it had only began to snow an hour earlier, I was shocked at how white the lake was and as we walked back, our previous footsteps had been erased by a new bed of snow. But what shocked me was that there were still the local joggers doing their daily jog and dogs (such as the lovely one pictured that we met) were a plenty.

I can only hope the lake becomes frozen enough to skate on before I leave, as it is permitted when it is safe enough to do so and it is a pastime here.

KRINGSJÅ STUDENTBY

I have always been particularly lucky with my university bedroom views from year to year and the view of the forest did not disappoint as its usual misty look was accompanied by a white ground. Having my room lit by the contrasting tones of snow and mist was cosy and, dare I admit it, I listened to my first Christmas song.

The complex itself looks wonderful and tranquil. The pond had frozen over a couple weeks prior and it looks so deceiving as a low level path. I did learn, almost right away, not to use the slope that everyone usually does after almost slipping myself and watching others unwilling become a human sled down it.

If you would like to watch me spam my social media with snow updates, you can follow me on Instagram here.