Akureyri, Iceland’s main northern city, sits at the head of a long fjord and receives notably less rain than Reykjavik, averaging around 470 mm (about 19 inches) a year, since the surrounding mountains shelter it somewhat from the wettest Atlantic weather systems that hit the south coast directly. The fjord setting still means weather can change quickly, and the surrounding mountains can trigger localized, intense precipitation events. Winter brings substantial snow rather than rain given the northern latitude. Because mountain and fjord terrain here creates genuinely different local weather than southern Iceland, radar gives a clearer real-time picture than a general national forecast. Iceland’s Meteorological Office operates the national radar network.
Learn more: How Does Rain Radar Work? · Open the full Rain Map