Forecasters say it’s time to replace ski gear with rain gear.

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Excitement about winter ski conditions in southern and central Finland proved short-lived. Bright snowdrifts turn to slush at the start of the week.

A system of snow and rain is expected to sweep across Finland from the west on Sunday evening, bringing milder temperatures and strong winds, according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI).

Yle meteorologist Anne Borgstrom said precipitation would start as snow but quickly change to rain.

This change in weather conditions is expected to temporarily worsen road conditions across much of the country, particularly at night and in the morning.

Monday will be overcast across most of Finland, with rain, sleet and snow showers in many places.

The weather will warm considerably on Monday, with temperatures rising above freezing across the country except the far north. In southern and western regions, temperatures will vary between five and ten degrees Celsius.

Heavy rain

The IMF issued heavy rain warnings on Monday for Southern Ostrobothnia and Satakunta, where up to 50 millimeters of rain are expected. This is important since the threshold for heavy rain is 20 millimeters per day.

Warming temperatures and rain will also melt snow already on the ground, leading to flooding. That said, flood warnings have been issued for several areas along the west coast and in Ostrobothnia.

Storm warnings are also in effect for maritime areas on Monday, with gusts reaching 21 meters per second.

Wet weather is expected to continue until Tuesday in much of Finland. In the north and Lapland, precipitation will fall as snow, with 10 to 15 centimeters of white matter possible in Northern Ostrobothnia and southern Lapland.

Forecasters expect temperatures to cool again by the end of the week.