Editing Alta Municipality (section)

===Climate===
Most people live in the town of Alta, stretching along the inner part of the fjord. Alta has a sheltered [[boreal climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfc'', [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]] ''Eolo'') with long and dark winters, but still much less cold than expected for latitude 70 North. Daytime mid-summer temperatures are often fairly similar to coastal southern Norway, and lowland areas in Alta are mostly sheltered from the winter [[storms]], which can be strong on the coast north of Alta. The mean annual temperature is {{convert|2|C|F|1}} and the Alta valley does not have [[permafrost]] but is dominated by closed-canopy forest of [[birch]] and [[Scots pine|pine]]. Precipitation is low, with a yearly average precipitation of only {{convert|420|mm|in|1}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alta climate statistics |url=http://retro.met.no/observasjoner/finnmark/normaler_for_kommune_2012.html?kommuner |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714071254/http://retro.met.no/observasjoner/finnmark/normaler_for_kommune_2012.html?kommuner |archive-date=14 July 2012 |access-date=11 March 2023}}</ref> The frequent clear skies are the reason why Alta early was chosen as an excellent location for studying the [[aurora borealis]]. The "[[midnight sun]]" is above the horizon from 18 May to 27 July, lasting a bit longer than the [[polar night]] from 26 November to 16 January. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below {{convert|0|°C|1|abbr=on}}) in spring is 14 May<ref>{{Cite web |date=4 May 2012 |title=Siste frostnatt om våren |url=https://www.yr.no/artikkel/siste-frostnatt-om-varen-1.8119060 |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=NRK}}</ref> and average date for first freeze in autumn is 25 September at Alta Airport (1981–2010 average)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Husebø |first=Trond-Ole |date=25 September 2013 |title=Første frostnatt |url=https://www.yr.no/artikkel/forste-frostnatt-1.11261900 |access-date=11 March 2023 |website=NRK}}</ref> giving a frost-free season of 133 days.

{{Weather box
|location = [[Alta (town)|Alta]], Finnmark (1981–2010, extremes 1874–present)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 9.9
|Feb record high C = 11.5
|Mar record high C = 10.8
|Apr record high C = 15.6
|May record high C = 28
|Jun record high C = 31.9
|Jul record high C = 33.0
|Aug record high C = 31.8
|Sep record high C = 24.0
|Oct record high C = 17.4
|Nov record high C = 14.7
|Dec record high C = 10.8
|year record high C = 33.0
|Jan high C = -3.7
|Feb high C = -3.6
|Mar high C = -0.9
|Apr high C = 3.3
|May high C = 8.2
|Jun high C = 13.6
|Jul high C = 17.3
|Aug high C = 15.7
|Sep high C = 10.8
|Oct high C = 4.8
|Nov high C = -0.4
|Dec high C = -2.6
|year high C = 5.2
|Jan mean C = -7.3
|Feb mean C = -7.1
|Mar mean C = -4.4
|Apr mean C = 0.0
|May mean C = 5.1
|Jun mean C = 10.4
|Jul mean C = 14.0
|Aug mean C = 12.5
|Sep mean C = 7.9
|Oct mean C = 2.3
|Nov mean C = -3.4
|Dec mean C = -6.0
|year mean C = 2.1
|Jan low C = -10.9
|Feb low C = -10.6
|Mar low C = -7.8
|Apr low C = -3.2
|May low C = 2.1
|Jun low C = 7.2
|Jul low C = 10.7
|Aug low C = 9.2
|Sep low C = 4.9
|Oct low C = -0.2
|Nov low C = -6.4
|Dec low C = -9.4
|year low C = -1.2
|Jan record low C = -34.0
|Feb record low C = -30.5
|Mar record low C = -28.5
|Apr record low C = -21.7
|May record low C = -16.4
|Jun record low C = -3.8
|Jul record low C = 0.2
|Aug record low C = -2.1
|Sep record low C = -8.5
|Oct record low C = -20.4
|Nov record low C = -33.0
|Dec record low C = -31.3
|year record low C = -34.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 38.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 28.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 22.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 22.0
|May precipitation mm = 24.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 32.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 49.7
|Aug precipitation mm = 43.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 36.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 42.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 33.0
|Dec precipitation mm = 41.9
|year precipitation mm = 413.9
|Jan precipitation days = 9.6
|Feb precipitation days = 7.7
|Mar precipitation days = 6.5
|Apr precipitation days = 6.4
|May precipitation days = 5.8
|Jun precipitation days = 6.3
|Jul precipitation days = 8.3
|Aug precipitation days = 8.0
|Sep precipitation days = 8.5
|Oct precipitation days = 9.6
|Nov precipitation days = 8.4
|Dec precipitation days = 10.1
|year precipitation days = 
|source 1 = <ref>{{Cite web |title=Norwegian Meteorological Institute |url=http://eklima.met.no/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040614073527/http://eklima.met.no/ |archive-date=14 June 2004 |access-date=7 May 2014 |publisher=Norwegian Meteorological Institute}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Climate normals for Norway 1981–2010 |url=http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/listenormale-1981-2010-1-p159.php |access-date=1 February 2019 |publisher=Météo Climat |language=fr}}</ref>
|date=May 2014
}}