Editing Skjåk (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Solsida Skjåk 1994 Wikipedia.jpg|left|300px|thumbnail|View of the "sunny side" of Skjåk]]
Skjåk Municipality is the westernmost municipality in the [[Ottadalen]] valley. It is bordered to the north by [[Fjord Municipality]], [[Rauma Municipality]], and [[Lesja Municipality]], in the east and southeast by [[Lom,_Norway|Lom Municipality]], in the south by [[Luster Municipality]] and in the west by [[Stryn Municipality]] and [[Stranda Municipality]]. The municipality lies along the [[Otta (river)|Otta]] river between the mountainous areas of Breheim and Reinheim. [[Bismo]] is the modern population center and the location of the majority of industry and shopping as well as the municipal administration.

The community is at the meeting point between [[Gudbrandsdalen]] and the mountains between the eastern parts of Norway and the west coast. The municipality lies on a historically significant traffic artery between Stryn and Nordfjord, [[Geiranger]], and [[Sunnmøre]] and the more easterly Ottadal municipalities of Lom and [[Vågå]]. The [[Breheimen National Park]] and [[Reinheimen National Park]] are both located in the municipality.

Of the total area, {{convert|19|km2|mi2}} is used for agriculture; {{convert|129|km2|mi2}} for [[forestry]]; {{convert|75|km2|mi2}} is covered by water (including the [[Breiddalsvatnet]] lake); and the rest is mountains and other non-[[arable land]]. Virtually the entire {{convert|23|km|adj=on}} long valley floor is continuously, but sparsely, built up. Skjåk serves as a point of entry to the mountain areas just west; [[hunting]] and [[fishing]] are also popular [[tourism|tourist]] activities. The municipality includes a number of large lakes including [[Aursjoen]], [[Breiddalsvatnet]], [[Grønvatnet]], [[Langvatnet (Skjåk)|Langvatnet]], [[Rauddalsvatn]], and [[Tordsvatnet]]. The [[Breheimen]] mountains run through the municipality and the [[Holåbreen]] and [[Tystigbreen]] [[glacier]]s are located in those mountains.

===Climate===
Nestled in a deep valley, the populated regions of Skjåk are [[rain shadow]]ed and as a result are actually one of the most arid places in [[Europe]] with annual precipitation of about {{convert|10|in|mm|order=flip}} per year, but it avoids a [[steppe climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''BSk'') by being too cold (mean annual temperature of {{convert|2.75|C|F|disp=sqbr}}), thus having a low [[evapotranspiration]] rate, and having precipitation too spread out (about 55% in summer). This gives Skjåk a [[subarctic climate]] (Köppen ''Dsc''), thanks to low overall precipitation levels in summer.<ref name="MetSkjåk">{{Cite web |title=Meteorologisk institutt |url=http://www.eklima.met.no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119204136/http://eklima.met.no/ |archive-date=2016-11-19}}</ref><ref name="KoppenCalc">{{Cite web |title=Koppen climate calculator |url=http://www.eklima.met.no |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119204136/http://eklima.met.no/ |archive-date=2016-11-19}}</ref>

In addition, one side of the valley, ''solsida'' ("the sunny side"), has a southern exposure, whereas ''baksida'' (the "back side") gets very little sun. [[Agriculture]] has been enabled by elaborate [[irrigation]] systems for hundreds of years, so the area is green and productive rather than desert-like.

{{Weather box
|location = Skjåk, Oppland, elevation: {{convert|372|m|abbr=on|disp=or}}, 1961-1990 normals, extremes 1970–1987
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 12.4
|Feb record high C = 10.2
|Mar record high C = 12.6
|Apr record high C = 19.7
|May record high C = 24.8
|Jun record high C = 30.3
|Jul record high C = 30.2
|Aug record high C = 32.2
|Sep record high C = 22.5
|Oct record high C = 19.3
|Nov record high C = 14.1
|Dec record high C = 10.6
|year record high C = 32.2
|Jan avg record high C = 6.4
|Feb avg record high C = 5.9
|Mar avg record high C = 8.2
|Apr avg record high C = 13.8
|May avg record high C = 22.1
|Jun avg record high C = 25.7
|Jul avg record high C = 27.5
|Aug avg record high C = 25.3
|Sep avg record high C = 19.3
|Oct avg record high C = 14.8
|Nov avg record high C = 9.7
|Dec avg record high C = 8.5
|year avg record high C = 28.6
|Jan high C = -6.0
|Feb high C = -4.7
|Mar high C = 1.9
|Apr high C = 7.4
|May high C = 14.7
|Jun high C = 18.2
|Jul high C = 19.9
|Aug high C = 18.5
|Sep high C = 12.7
|Oct high C = 6.8
|Nov high C = 0.4
|Dec high C = -2.6
|year high C = 7.3
|Jan mean C = -9.4
|Feb mean C = -8.2
|Mar mean C = -2.7
|Apr mean C = 2.7
|May mean C = 8.5
|Jun mean C = 12.7
|Jul mean C = 13.9
|Aug mean C = 12.8
|Sep mean C = 8.4
|Oct mean C = 3.8
|Nov mean C = -2.9
|Dec mean C = -6.6
|Jan low C = -13.5
|Feb low C = -13.1
|Mar low C = -6.8
|Apr low C = -2.0
|May low C = 2.7
|Jun low C = 6.7
|Jul low C = 8.6
|Aug low C = 7.6
|Sep low C = 3.9
|Oct low C = 0.3
|Nov low C = -6.1
|Dec low C = -10.0
|year low C = -1.8
|Jan avg record low C = -27.8
|Feb avg record low C = -25.7
|Mar avg record low C = -17.8
|Apr avg record low C = -10.2
|May avg record low C = -4.5
|Jun avg record low C = 0.4
|Jul avg record low C = 2.9
|Aug avg record low C = 0.8
|Sep avg record low C = -3.6
|Oct avg record low C = -8.7
|Nov avg record low C = -17.7
|Dec avg record low C = -21.6
|year avg record low C = -30.1
|Jan record low C = -40.0
|Feb record low C = -35.7
|Mar record low C = -25.5
|Apr record low C = -15.9
|May record low C = -7.5
|Jun record low C = -2.8
|Jul record low C = 0.5
|Aug record low C = -1.8
|Sep record low C = -8.0
|Oct record low C = -18.9
|Nov record low C = -25.3
|Dec record low C = -38.0
|year record low C = -40.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 20
|Feb precipitation mm = 12
|Mar precipitation mm = 12
|Apr precipitation mm = 5
|May precipitation mm = 15
|Jun precipitation mm = 28
|Jul precipitation mm = 43
|Aug precipitation mm = 35
|Sep precipitation mm = 30
|Oct precipitation mm = 32
|Nov precipitation mm = 23
|Dec precipitation mm = 24
|unit precipitation days = 1.0&nbsp;mm
|Jan precipitation days = 6
|Feb precipitation days = 3
|Mar precipitation days = 3
|Apr precipitation days = 2
|May precipitation days = 4
|Jun precipitation days = 6
|Jul precipitation days = 9
|Aug precipitation days = 8
|Sep precipitation days = 8
|Oct precipitation days = 7
|Nov precipitation days = 8
|Dec precipitation days = 7
|year precipitation days = 71
|Jan snow depth cm = 17
|Feb snow depth cm = 16
|Mar snow depth cm = 12
|Apr snow depth cm = 4
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 2
|Nov snow depth cm = 9
|Dec snow depth cm = 17
|year snow depth cm = 25
|source 1=Meteorologisk institutt<ref name="MetSkjåk" />
}}