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Location: The Valley Of The Sun just east of Canberra
414 posts, read 798,177 times
Reputation: 362
Not sure how much you can trust the stats given; they are perhaps mistranslated from the original Russian. I'm pretty sure the annual precip is meant to be 531.7 mm and the zero sunshine in May, June and July is certainly wrong, since the sun never sets there at that time of year.
Pyramiden should be at least a degree or two cooler than Longyearbyen on average I suppose, being further north and around 400 m ASL. The 1991-2020 max for Longyearbyen is 9C in July; bear in mind Svalbard is among the fastest warming spots on the planet. Pyramiden is abandoned apart from the hotel so I'm guessing those averages would be out of date by now. I reckon a 6C average max in July would be the case now.
Despite my predilection for cold and snow I can't rate it higher than a 'D'. I prefer snowier climates with more moderate temperatures- and some semblance of a summer which Svalbard can't really deliver. The midnight sun would also be an issue for me; at 78N it lasts for several months. I would sooner live here than in a steamy equatorial climate, though.
Svalbard is a fascinating place of course and I would love to visit.
Assuming that Pyramiden is at 500 m (1640 ft), at the lapse rate of 5.6ºC (10.1ºF) per km; Pyramiden should be approximately 2.8ºC (5.0ºF) colder than Longyearbyen. So March (the coldest month) would be -14.8ºC (5.0ºF) while July (the warmest month) would be 4.2ºC (40.0ºF). I might be underestimating the effect of temperature inversion.
Anyways, Pyramiden would earn an F+. Not quite as bad as other arctic hellholes at 78ºN (warmer winters), but still not great. At least there is a small summer, although with too much cloud, gloom, and still too cold for trees.
Also, it is interesting OP, that your username is a radioisotope (it's Moscovium now!)
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