Holmenkollen (Urban East Norwegian pronunciation:[ˈhɔ̂ɫmn̩ˌkɔɫn̩])[1][2] is amountain and aneighbourhood in theVestre Aker borough ofOslo,Norway.[3] It goes up to 500 metres (1,600 ft) above sea level and is well known for its international skiing competitions.
The name is a compound of the farm nameHolmen and the finite form ofkolle'knoll'. The nameHolmen is itself a compound of theOld Norse wordsholmi'elevated space on land' andvin'meadow'.[4]
In addition to being a residential area, the area has been a ski recreation area since the late 19th century, with its famousski jumping hill, theHolmenkollbakken, hosting competitions since 1892.[5] To the north, the area borders theMarka woodlands area.
TheHolmenkoll Line of theOslo Metro runs through the neighborhood, serving the stationsBesserud andHolmenkollen.
TheHolmenkollen Chapel was destroyed byarson in August 1992 byblack metal artistsVarg Vikernes,Bård “Faust” Eithun andØystein “Euronymous” Aarseth, but later rebuilt.[3][6]
The chapel is a neighbour to the NorwegianRoyal Lodge, the residence of theNorwegian royal family during events likeChristmas andHolmenkollen Ski Festival.
Holmenkollen has ahumid continental climate transitional withmaritime subarctic influenced by its elevated position above the valley consisting of Oslo's downtown. It has cooler weather than the lower elevations, especially in summer and more precipitation both in terms of rain and snow because oforographic lift. Winter temperatures are slightly colder than in lower areas, although the difference is lower at that time of the year. Even so, Holmenkollen usually maintains a sizeable snowpack. In spite of the elevation, summer temperatures are comparable to sea level locations on theNorth Sea both in Norway andScotland.
| Climate data for Tryvannshøgda, 514 m asl (1991-2020 averages; extremes 1950–1978 & since 1998) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) | 11.7 (53.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 31.0 (87.8) | 26.0 (78.8) | 23.5 (74.3) | 20.2 (68.4) | 13.1 (55.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 31.0 (87.8) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.3 (43.3) | 10.4 (50.7) | 14.9 (58.8) | 21.2 (70.2) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25.0 (77.0) | 23.1 (73.6) | 18.9 (66.0) | 12.8 (55.0) | 8.7 (47.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 26.1 (79.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) | −1.9 (28.6) | 1.7 (35.1) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.3 (54.1) | 16.3 (61.3) | 18.4 (65.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 6.1 (43.0) | 1.6 (34.9) | −1.0 (30.2) | 7.3 (45.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.4 (24.1) | −4.2 (24.4) | −1.2 (29.8) | 3.6 (38.5) | 8.3 (46.9) | 12.2 (54.0) | 14.5 (58.1) | 13.5 (56.3) | 9.4 (48.9) | 3.8 (38.8) | −0.3 (31.5) | −3.0 (26.6) | 4.4 (39.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.4 (20.5) | −6.4 (20.5) | −4.1 (24.6) | −0.1 (31.8) | 4.2 (39.6) | 8.1 (46.6) | 10.6 (51.1) | 10.0 (50.0) | 6.4 (43.5) | 1.5 (34.7) | −2.2 (28.0) | −4.9 (23.2) | 1.4 (34.5) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −12.7 (9.1) | −12.8 (9.0) | −10.2 (13.6) | −4.5 (23.9) | −1.1 (30.0) | 3.5 (38.3) | 7.2 (45.0) | 5.8 (42.4) | 2.2 (36.0) | −3.5 (25.7) | −8.3 (17.1) | −10.8 (12.6) | −15.4 (4.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −23.6 (−10.5) | −25.4 (−13.7) | −18.1 (−0.6) | −10.4 (13.3) | −4.0 (24.8) | −0.6 (30.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | −0.1 (31.8) | −2.0 (28.4) | −8.9 (16.0) | −14.8 (5.4) | −18.1 (−0.6) | −25.4 (−13.7) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 94.6 (3.72) | 78.9 (3.11) | 61.8 (2.43) | 62.0 (2.44) | 90.1 (3.55) | 102.3 (4.03) | 123.1 (4.85) | 151.9 (5.98) | 113.8 (4.48) | 127.3 (5.01) | 130.1 (5.12) | 98.4 (3.87) | 1,234.3 (48.59) |
| Source: Norsk Klimaservicesenter[7] | |||||||||||||
59°58′N10°40′E / 59.967°N 10.667°E /59.967; 10.667
