Check out John’s lovely post at Lens-Artists Challenge #328 – Winter
Winter will be upon those living in the northern hemisphere in only two weeks, well in my opinion it is already here .
For those who know me, know that winter is not my season, but you have to endure it. While I can appreciate the beautiful winter landscapes, with their pristine white snow and glistening icicles hanging from the eaves, and the seasonal lights that illuminate the dark nights, the cold weather is something I struggle with. The crisp air can feel invigorating at first, but it quickly turns into an unwelcome chill that seeps through even the warmest of layers. I know it is a matter of dressing accordingly, but the layer after layer can become cumbersome and stifling; not to mention the effort it takes to bundle up before stepping outside.
I will give you a few facts below about the beloved season if you are interested, or you can just enjoy the photos I’ve taken of the beauty of the snow-filled landscape, which captures the serene essence of winter perfectly. There is something magical about how snow blankets the ground, transforming ordinary scenes into picturesque winter wonderlands that take your breath away. I enjoy it too—in the photos, where each pristine flake seems to reflect the beauty of nature and the quiet stillness that accompanies this season, inviting you to pause and admire the frosty charm that surrounds us.
FEW facts about Finland In winter, the mean temperature remains below 0°C, but warm airflows can raise the daily high above 0°C at times. Winter usually begins in mid-October in Lapland and during November in the rest of Finland, though not until December in the southwestern archipelago. It thus takes about two months for winter to proceed from Lapland to Åland. The sea and large lakes slow down the progress of winter. Winter is the longest season in Finland, lasting for about 100 days in southwestern Finland and 200 days in Lapland.
Arctic Circle, part of winter is the period known as the “polar night”, when the sun does not rise above the horizon at all. In the northernmost corner of Finland, the polar night lasts for 51 days. In southern Finland, the shortest day is about 6 hours long.
Permanent snow covers the ground about two weeks after winter begins, reaching its deepest around mid-March with 60 to 90 cm in eastern and northern Finland, and 20 to 30 cm in southwestern Finland. Lakes freeze in late November and early December, with ice thickest in early April at about 50 to 65 cm. In severe winters, the Baltic Sea may ice over almost completely, while mild winters keep it open except for the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland’s far ends.
The coldest day of winter typically occurs after the winter solstice, at the end of January in most places, except for maritime islands and coastal areas, where it is delayed until early February. Coldest temperatures range from -45°C to -50°C in Lapland and eastern Finland, from -35°C to -45°C elsewhere, and from -25°C to -35°C in islands and coastal regions.
Please join and remember to link to John’s challenge when you post your response, and use the Lens-Artists tag.
Last week, Sofia’s challenge focused on the Five Elements in her lovely post, and the responses were interesting to see. How we all interpreted it in our own way .
Next week, it is time for our annual year-end challenge. In December 2022, the Lens-Artists team introduced a “Last-Chance” challenge. The idea was to review the year’s images that never quite fit our challenge subjects that year. The “rule” is that your chosen photographs must have been taken in 2024 and not have been included in response to our 2024 challenges. Go through your gallery and join us on Saturday, December 14, at noon Eastern Standard Time.
These are unedited photos so you can see that the blues there are so real and powerful, The first one is taken on top of the ice…around 7 am, the second about hour later from the window… last one around 5 pm in the evening. 
Ritva Sillanmäki Photography 