How’s The Weather In Sweden?
The weather in Sweden… Is it true there’s snow for nine months a year, and only cold and windy summers? And do you always need a raincoat and an umbrella? No! Although located at the same latitude as Siberia, Alaska and Northern Canada, the country enjoys warm, sunny and dry summers. In fact, the weather in Sweden is often much better than most people assume. Climate is not just a matter of north and south. There are other factors that influence the weather. The central and northern parts of Sweden benefit from the Norwegian mountain range. The mountains shield Sweden from the bad effects of Atlantic low pressure systems. Rain clouds often don’t make it to the east and let their water fall in Norway. High pressure systems over Russia and Eastern Europe often bring quite warm and sunny summer weather in Sweden, with averages of 70° F (21° C) in July. Sure it can rain in Stockholm, also in August, but compared to other cities in Europe, it will never take long (
check here to see the current temperature in Stockholm
).
From November to March in central parts of Sweden, and from October to April in the north, there’s a good chance of snow. The average temperature in Stockholm in January is just below 32° F (0° C) , but in the northern mining district of Kiruna it can dive as deep as 5° F (or -15° C°) - and this is only the average! No wonder, they built an ice hotel there…The western coastline (Göteborg to Malmö) does not benefit from the Norwegian mountains and is wetter throughout the year, but it’s also warmer in winter than the eastern and northern parts. Winters with only very little snow are not uncommon in the south west. The long shape of the country also determines the weather in Sweden. There are 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) between the south and the north. Therefore the warmer seasons in the south are much longer than those in the north. When spring has begun in Malmö, it may still freeze in Kiruna. But summer in Kiruna can be just as warm as in the south. Scandinavia does not escape from the effects of global warming, and also Sweden has recently experienced shorter and warmer winters.
If you want to know more about climate and weather in Sweden, check the site of the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.
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