Svalbard records about 190mm of rain across roughly 105 wet days a year, which is a 29% chance on an average day. September is the wettest month at 25mm (13% of the annual total) and May the driest at 8mm. Local rain type: snow mix. Most precipitation falls as snow — Svalbard is technically an Arctic desert receiving very little total moisture. Wind is the bigger concern. Full Arctic gear is mandatory year-round.
Chance of rain on an average day: 29%
Rainfall climatology for Svalbard. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Conditions on this page are recalculated from the latest forecast every time it is opened, for the current date in the location's own time zone. Showing .
| Annual rainfall | 190mm |
| Rain days per year | 105 |
| Odds on an average day | 29% |
| Wettest month | September — 25mm over 14 days |
| Driest month | May — 8mm over 4 days |
| Rain type | snow mix |
| Best dry window | April and May offer increasing daylight with minimal precipitation and frozen stable conditions for glacier exploration. |
| Worst rain window | September brings the most moisture as Arctic sea ice retreats — precipitation can fall as rain even at this latitude due to warming. |
September delivers 213% more rain than May (25mm vs 8mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 13% of the annual total, so rain in Svalbard is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Svalbard rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 14 days in September against 4 in May — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15mm | 8 | 27% | -8°C |
| February | 15mm | 8 | 27% | -8°C |
| March | 18mm | 10 | 33% | -6°C |
| April | 12mm | 7 | 23% | -2°C |
| May | 8mm | 4 | 13% | 2°C |
| June | 10mm | 6 | 20% | 6°C |
| July | 20mm | 11 | 37% | 8°C |
| August | 22mm | 12 | 40% | 8°C |
| September | 25mm | 14 | 47% | 6°C |
| October | 18mm | 10 | 33% | 2°C |
| November | 15mm | 8 | 27% | -2°C |
| December | 12mm | 7 | 23% | -6°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Svalbard we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Svalbard records rain on roughly 105 days a year — about a 29% chance on any given day — totalling around 190mm.
September, with about 25mm over 14 rain days. That is 13% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
May is the driest month at 8mm across roughly 4 days. April and May offer increasing daylight with minimal precipitation and frozen stable conditions for glacier exploration.
Most precipitation falls as snow — Svalbard is technically an Arctic desert receiving very little total moisture. Wind is the bigger concern. Full Arctic gear is mandatory year-round.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.