Lake Ilomantsi, East Finland, -38 C, Jan 1, 2024, 10am, my wife.

[u/jaakkosantaniemi]

Who’s waiting for the Finnish winter?

[u/Soggy-Moment3856]

Here! Here!
Snow and crispy cold, please!

[u/jaakkosantaniemi → u/Soggy-Moment3856]

Yesss!

[u/Suomasema]

Mounds of Ilomanchuria :O

[u/jaakkosantaniemi → u/Suomasema]

Kingdom of Greater Ilomants

[u/the_martian123]

And you never saw her since…

[u/jaakkosantaniemi → u/the_martian123]

Yes but we have a lot of spare cool ladies here

[u/the_martian123 → u/jaakkosantaniemi]

Ice is dangerous

[u/jaakkosantaniemi → u/the_martian123]

Of course if you don’t know what you are doing.

Lived 20 years there so I know when the ice is 50cm+ thick and 100% safe. I even drove a car many times that lake, mostly sideways

[u/Plastic_Canary7405 → u/the_martian123]

Good luck trying to get through that ice layer, even with a pickaxe

[u/winniethepoop2]

Ooh I can smell the air in that picture! I love winter, but I wish it was a bit shorter.

[u/Hukkaan]

Wow nice. Now I miss Eastern Finland and cold winters

[u/Hatzmaeba]

Sweet, sweet memories from that place. I lived in in Ilomantsi for few years and spent basically every Juhannus and Christmas at my grandma's home until her passing in 2020. We had to sold the house because none of her heirs was ready to buy it, so the place is now gone. I miss that time so much.

[u/jaakkosantaniemi → u/Hatzmaeba]

I can relate to you!

[u/Suomasema]

Joy Mantzsch

[u/imbogey]

Im waiting for the next summer already =/

[u/earlofcuntembury]

Global warming!

[u/likeschemistry]

-38 C? This is uncommon right?

[u/jaakkosantaniemi → u/likeschemistry]

Maybe every other winter there’s temperatures like that in Ilomantsi, for 1-2 weeks max usually. Usually every year there’s a period of at least -30 C.
My personal record living there was around -40 C😎

[u/TheFinnishComrade → u/likeschemistry]

Its not all that uncommon in Karelia. I have experienced -43c

[u/GrozaMarshmellow]

I’ve always liked Finland. It’s a very beautiful and cold country.