Polar Night: Sweden's Dark Season

Polar night sounds like weeks of black sky. It isn’t. Here is what Sweden’s weather institute actually says about the light, how to plan a day around it, and what the dark changes on the road and in your head.

When you need this

• You are deciding whether to go to Lapland in December or early January.
• You want to know whether “no sun” means no light at all.
• You are driving in northern Sweden in midwinter.
• You are worried that weeks of darkness will get you down.
• You are weighing the dark season against the bright late winter.

Where and how long

Polarnatt (polar night) is the period when the sun does not rise at all. It only happens north of the Arctic Circle, at about 66.5° N. Right on the circle it lasts a single day at the winter solstice; the farther north you go, the longer it gets.

In Kiruna, SMHI, Sweden’s weather institute, puts it at about 27 days, centred on the solstice around 22 December. Kiruna’s tourist organisation says about 28 days, with the sun’s rays back in early January. Either way, the sunless weeks straddle Christmas and New Year.

This is the mirror image of the midnight sun in Sweden: the same latitudes, six months later.

What the light is actually like

SMHI is clear on this: polar night is not completely black. Twilight lasts a number of hours, and even when the sun never rises there can be a few hours around midday of dawn and dusk light.

The useful part is borgerlig skymning, civil twilight. It lasts until the sun’s centre is 6° below the horizon. During it, on a cloudless day, it is light enough to read a newspaper outdoors. Below 6° comes nautical twilight, and below 12° astronomical twilight, when the sky is nearly dark.

How dark the rest of the day feels depends on three things SMHI names: the weather, the snow cover, and whether the moon is up. Snow on the ground and a moon in the sky make a big difference. Cloud does the opposite.

Kiruna’s tourist organisation describes the midday light in December as blue over the snow. Look north and it is a cold blue-violet; look south and the horizon glows warm. In the weeks before, sunsets come earlier every day until sunset and sunrise meet at midday.

SMHI gives no hour figure for any town, and neither do we. The tables you find online come from sun calculators, not from SMHI. Plan on “a few hours around midday” and you will be right.

The rest of Sweden: short days, not polar night

Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö never have polar night. In southernmost Sweden the day varies between about 7 and 17 hours over the year, so midwinter gives roughly seven hours with the sun up. SMHI adds that dawn and dusk there are usually fairly light.

Stockholm and central Sweden lie farther north and get less than the far south. SMHI publishes no Stockholm figure, so we don’t give one. For the season as a whole, see Sweden in winter.

Light and mood

Weeks of short days affect some people. 1177, Sweden’s public health-care guide, says most people with seasonal depression (årstidsbunden depression) get their symptoms in the dark time of year. Some people feel worst in spring and summer instead.

1177’s advice for low mood is practical and fits a trip:

• Be outdoors and move at midday, when it is brightest. Daylight matters for feeling well.
• Get up and go to bed at regular times.
• Keep moving even when it feels hard; physical activity also helps you sleep.
• Good lighting indoors can help too.

If low mood lasts two weeks or more, 1177 says to contact a health centre (vårdcentral). You can call 1177 for advice on where to seek care. This page gives no treatment advice beyond that.

What’s open in the dark season

Sweden does not close for polar night. Trains keep running, including the night trains to Lapland. Kiruna’s tourist organisation says skiing, dog sledding, snowmobiling and riding go on regardless of the missing sun.

A few things do follow the calendar:

So a December ski tour between STF mountain huts is not possible. Staffed huts open from late February, when the light is back. Details on the ice hotel are in the Icehotel guide.

The long dark and the northern lights

The dark season is aurora season. The aurora is too faint to see by day, so more dark hours mean more chances. In Kiruna it appears on about every other clear night. In the dark months it can show from about four in the afternoon.

Clouds, not darkness, are the obstacle, so allow several nights. Our northern lights in Sweden guide covers forecasts, timing and photography.

Standing still in the cold is part of it. Kiruna’s normal January mean is −11.3 °C, and skin turning white and cold is a frostbite sign. See cold safety.

Driving and walking in darkness

Darkness brings two legal duties for drivers under the traffic ordinance (trafikförordningen):

1. Dipped headlights (halvljus) in darkness, at dawn and at dusk. Daytime running lights are not enough then. Driving without the prescribed lights carries a 500 kr fixed fine.
2. A speed that fits what you can see. Never faster than lets you stop within the distance you can see, and slow down when the light reduces visibility.

Wildlife is the other risk. Trafikverket, the road authority, says moose, deer and reindeer are hit most often at dawn and dusk. In midwinter most of the short day is twilight. Reindeer are herded animals that belong to Sami villages in the northern counties, and hitting one must be reported. See wildlife collisions.

A breakdown in the dark is dangerous. Trafikverket counts about four deaths a year after breakdowns or punctures on motorways and 2+1 roads. Put the warning triangle at least 100 m back and get off the road. Leave earlier and stop earlier; full advice is in winter driving in Sweden.

On foot, wear a reflector. A driver on dipped beam sees a pedestrian in dark clothes at 20–30 m, and one with a reflector at about 125 m. Carrying a reflector or a light is advice, not law, but Kiruna’s tourist organisation calls reflectors your best friend in the dark season. Add a headlamp.

Practical information

FAQ

Is it dark 24 hours a day during polar night in Sweden?

No. Polar night means the sun never rises above the horizon, but SMHI says it is not completely black: for a few hours around midday the sky is in dawn and dusk light. How dark it gets also depends on cloud, snow cover and the moon. Midday in Kiruna in December is dim and blue rather than night.

Where in Sweden is there polar night?

Only north of the Arctic Circle, at about 66.5° N, in Swedish Lapland. Right at the circle the sun stays down for about a single day at the winter solstice; the farther north you go, the longer the polar night lasts. In Kiruna it lasts about 27 days. Stockholm and southern Sweden never have polar night, only short winter days.

How long is polar night in Kiruna?

About 27 days, according to SMHI, centred on the winter solstice around 22 December. Kiruna’s tourist organisation says about 28 days, with the sun’s rays returning in early January. Either way, the sunless weeks straddle Christmas and New Year, and even then a few hours of twilight around midday give usable light for being outdoors.

How short are winter days in southern Sweden?

In southernmost Sweden the day varies between about 7 and 17 hours over the year, so midwinter there gives about seven hours with the sun above the horizon. SMHI notes that dawn and dusk are usually fairly light as well. Stockholm and central Sweden lie farther north and get less; we give no figure because SMHI publishes none for Stockholm.

Does the dark season affect your mood?

It can. 1177, Sweden’s public health-care guide, says most people with seasonal depression get symptoms in the dark time of year, and that daylight matters for feeling well. Its advice is to be outdoors and move at midday, when it is brightest, and keep regular sleep times. Low mood lasting two weeks or more is a reason to contact a health centre or call 1177.

Is it safe to drive during polar night?

Yes, with the lights and speed the darkness demands. Swedish law requires dipped headlights, not daytime running lights, in darkness, dawn and dusk, and a speed that lets you stop within the distance you can see. Moose, deer and reindeer are most often hit at dawn and dusk, and in midwinter most of the short day is twilight.

Can you see the northern lights during polar night?

Yes, and the darkness helps: the aurora is too faint to see by day, so long nights mean more chances. In Kiruna it appears on about every other clear night, and in the dark months it can show from about four in the afternoon. Clouds are the real obstacle, so allow several nights and see the northern lights guide.

What is open in Lapland during polar night?

Trains keep running, including the night trains to Lapland, and Kiruna’s tourist organisation says skiing, dog sledding and other outdoor activities go on without the sun. The Icehotel’s winter building opens on 11 December 2026. Staffed mountain huts on the trails do not open until late February, and Christmas Eve closes more than any other day.

Related guides

• The midnight sun in Sweden — the same latitudes at the other end of the year.
• Northern lights in Sweden — what to do with the long dark.
• Sweden in winter — the whole season, north and south.
• Winter driving in Sweden — ice, ploughs and the car kit.
• Night train to Lapland — the way north without driving in the dark.

Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: SMHI, 1177, Riksdagen (trafikförordningen), Trafikverket, Åklagarmyndigheten, Rymdstyrelsen, Svenska Turistföreningen, Icehotel, Kiruna Lappland — full register in this topic’s source file. We publish no sunrise or twilight tables: SMHI gives none per town. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.