Thursday night was damp and chilly, with sleet, rain and fog bringing an increased risk of slippery road and sidewalk surfaces. Temperatures hovered at a couple of degrees above and below zero.

The morning brings a continued slippery surface hazard, so take care when out and about. Average temperatures in the morning remain around the zero-mark and will not rise beyond +1 degree Celsius. Southerlies of 2-10 meters per second in gusts up to 13 meters per second on the coast will bring patches of sleet and snow in the North and East.

As the day wears on, the mercury will rise very slightly, to an average of +1 degree on the mainland (slightly chillier in the Center and Northeast), meaning precipitation is as likely to fall in the form of rain, for instance in Tallinn, rather than as sleet or snow.

As is often the case the islands will see fractionally milder conditions. The southerlies will remain, swinging round to a southeasterly direction.

Thursday is the shortest day of the year with a daytime length of a little over six hours (9.18 a.m. to 3.20 p.m., in Tallinn). After that, the days start to get longer again, albeit by tiny increments to start off with.

Overnight Thursday to Friday, the winds are set to pick up in strength and will bring more snow and sleet; Friday daytime will be much the same story as Thursday in terms of temperatures, precipitation and winds.

Heading into the weekend, temperatures will start to drop somewhat, and on Saturday the nationwide average will be minus 1 degree day and night, with more snow.

The continued fall in temperature brings an enhanced chance of a white Christmas in places – Christmas is primarily celebrated on the evening of 24th in Estonia – and on Christmas day, Monday, average temperatures are forecast at -3 degrees daytime, -5 degrees at night, with regional variations.

While early Christmas morning might see more snow, as the day wears on this may transform more towards sleet and rain.

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