Sweden runs from about 55° N in Skåne to well above the Arctic Circle. In March that means spring in Lund and deep winter in Kiruna. Below you’ll find the official numbers for four towns from south to north, when each season actually arrives, and what each month brings.
When you need this
You’re choosing a month to travel, or you’ve already booked and want to know what to pack. Maybe you’re wondering if there’ll be snow, how dark it gets, or what the yellow warning on the SMHI app means.
Temperature and rain by month
All the figures below come from SMHI, Sweden’s national weather agency, and cover the current 1991–2020 normal period. SMHI describes a normal as the average climate at a place over 30 years. A normal isn’t a forecast. Any given month can be several degrees off, so check SMHI’s forecast in the week before you go.
We picked four stations from south to north: Lund in Skåne, Stockholm, Frösön at Östersund in Jämtland, and Kiruna airport in Lapland.
| Month | Lund °C | Lund mm | Stockholm °C | Stockholm mm | Östersund °C | Östersund mm | Kiruna °C | Kiruna mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.9 | 55 | −1.0 | 37 | −5.5 | 29 | −11.3 | 32 |
| February | 1.0 | 43 | −1.0 | 29 | −5.6 | 18 | −11.2 | 26 |
| March | 3.2 | 40 | 1.6 | 27 | −2.3 | 22 | −7.3 | 22 |
| April | 7.8 | 34 | 6.3 | 29 | 2.5 | 24 | −1.7 | 26 |
| May | 12.4 | 43 | 11.4 | 34 | 7.5 | 39 | 4.2 | 45 |
| June | 15.8 | 63 | 15.7 | 62 | 11.7 | 64 | 9.9 | 67 |
| July | 18.3 | 62 | 18.7 | 62 | 14.6 | 80 | 13.2 | 104 |
| August | 17.9 | 79 | 17.7 | 66 | 13.4 | 73 | 11.1 | 69 |
| September | 14.0 | 61 | 13.1 | 53 | 9.2 | 46 | 6.0 | 52 |
| October | 9.3 | 68 | 7.7 | 51 | 3.6 | 42 | −0.9 | 43 |
| November | 5.2 | 61 | 3.6 | 48 | −0.9 | 33 | −6.8 | 37 |
| December | 2.3 | 68 | 0.6 | 48 | −4.0 | 33 | −9.4 | 37 |
| Year | 9.0 | 676 | 7.9 | 546 | 3.7 | 503 | −0.3 | 561 |
A few things this table doesn’t show at first glance:
- These are 24-hour means. Afternoons are warmer and nights colder than the number shown.
- July is the warmest month at all four stations.
- Summer is the wettest season. August is Lund’s wettest month, and Kiruna gets about 104 mm in July alone.
- The west coast is wetter. Gothenburg averages 912 mm a year, compared with Stockholm’s 546 mm.
- The extremes go further. An SMHI meteorologist gives −15.1 °C as the January normal at Randijaur in central Lapland, and Karesuando hit −49.0 °C in January 1999.
When the seasons really arrive
SMHI defines the seasons by temperature, not the calendar. It’s winter when the daily mean stays at 0 °C or below, and summer when it stays at 10 °C or above. Spring and autumn are everything in between. Spring needs seven days in a row to count; the other seasons need five.
On the 1991–2020 normal, the average arrival dates are:
| Station | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter (length) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lund | 5 Feb | 29 Apr | 12 Oct | none (0 days) |
| Stockholm | 3 Mar | 7 May | 4 Oct | 22 Dec (71 days) |
| Östersund | 3 Apr | 30 May | 11 Sep | 9 Nov (145 days) |
| Kiruna | 24 Apr | 16 Jun | 24 Aug | 12 Oct (194 days) |
Read that last column twice. On the current normal, Lund has no meteorological winter at all, while Kiruna’s lasts more than six months.
Daylight: from midnight sun to polar night
North of the Arctic Circle, at about 66.5° N, the sun stays up all night around midsummer and doesn’t rise at all around midwinter.
For Kiruna, SMHI quotes the Swedish almanac: midnight sun from about 29 May to 14 July, 47 days in a row. The polar night lasts 27 days, and even then there are a few hours of twilight each day. The midnight sun guide goes into where and how to see it.
In southernmost Sweden, day length ranges from about 7 hours in December to 17 hours in June. In spring and autumn, day length changes by more than ten minutes a day in the far north, compared with about five minutes a day at most in the south.
Snow and first frost
Snow cover varies hugely by region:
| Region | Snow cover |
|---|---|
| Northern Lapland and the Norrland mountains | Over 200 days a year on average |
| High mountains | First snow cover in September; can linger into June |
| Northernmost mountain valleys | First snow cover in early October |
| Götaland coasts | Fewer than 50 days a year |
| Skåne south coast | First snow cover well into December or later; last snow days usually end of March |
SMHI’s snow maps still refer to the older 1961–1990 period, and SMHI expects snow cover to last less time as the climate changes, so treat these as generous. By mid-October, the season’s first night frost has normally reached northernmost Skåne.
Month by month: what is happening
Temperatures run from Lund to Kiruna. The hazards each have their own guide.
| Month | Lund → Kiruna | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| January | 0.9 → −11.3 °C | Coldest month, along with February. Slippery pavements. Polar night in the far north around the solstice |
| February | 1.0 → −11.2 °C | Meteorological spring reaches Lund around 5 Feb |
| March | 3.2 → −7.3 °C | Spring reaches Stockholm around 3 Mar. Tick season starts. Spring ice is weak. Last snow days in the far south |
| April | 7.8 → −1.7 °C | Spring reaches Östersund around 3 Apr and Kiruna around 24 Apr. Summer reaches Lund around 29 Apr. Grass-fire risk while last year’s grass is dry |
| May | 12.4 → 4.2 °C | Summer reaches Stockholm around 7 May. Mountain rivers swell with snowmelt. Forest-fire season runs May–July. Midnight sun in Kiruna from about 29 May |
| June | 15.8 → 9.9 °C | Summer reaches Kiruna around 16 Jun. Mosquitoes peak in the mountains from mid-June |
| July | 18.3 → 13.2 °C | Warmest month. Wettest in Kiruna. Fire bans are most likely in dry spells. Midnight sun in Kiruna until about 14 July |
| August | 17.9 → 11.1 °C | Lund’s wettest month. Mosquito numbers drop clearly. Autumn reaches Kiruna around 24 Aug |
| September | 14.0 → 6.0 °C | Autumn reaches Östersund around 11 Sep. First snow on the high mountains. Day length roughly equal across the country at the equinox |
| October | 9.3 → −0.9 °C | Autumn reaches Stockholm around 4 Oct and Lund around 12 Oct. Winter reaches Kiruna around 12 Oct. First night frost has normally reached northernmost Skåne by mid-month |
| November | 5.2 → −6.8 °C | Winter reaches Östersund around 9 Nov. Tick season ends |
| December | 2.3 → −9.4 °C | Shortest days, about 7 hours in the far south, and polar night in Kiruna. Winter reaches Stockholm around 22 Dec |
Two hazards deserve a word of their own. Ice on pavements is the everyday winter danger. Trafikverket says slipping is the most common cause of pedestrian falls, and falls cause well over 95% of serious pedestrian injuries. Spring ice (våris) is weak even when it looks solid. If you’re heading into the mountains in May, be careful near rivers: snowmelt swells them fast. The mountain safety guide covers this.
Weather warnings: yellow, orange, red
SMHI issues warnings at three levels:
| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Some damage to property and the environment; some disruption to society |
| Orange | Danger to the public; serious damage and disruption |
| Red | Great danger to the public; very serious damage |
Warnings are impact-based and regional. The same 20 mm of snow in 12 hours can be a different level depending on where in the country and when in the year it falls. They cover wind, rain, halka (slippery conditions), high water flows and high temperatures, among other things. You’ll find them on smhi.se, in the SMHI app up to three days ahead, and on Swedish Radio.
In deep cold there’s also a strong wind-chill warning, issued at yellow level only. It goes out when the mean wind is at least 10 m/s and the effective temperature reaches −28 °C or lower. At that point the risk of frostbite is high. If you get cold, the cold-injury guide says what to do.
Is Sweden getting warmer?
Yes, and that’s SMHI’s own finding. Southern Sweden’s annual mean was 6–8 °C in 1961–1990 and 7–9 °C in 1991–2020. In the north it rose from −3–0 °C to −2–+1 °C. SMHI says Sweden has warmed roughly twice as fast as the world as a whole, and that annual precipitation has risen with each overlapping 30-year period since 1961. It labels these comparison figures preliminary until they’ve been quality-checked.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Data source | SMHI normal values, 1991–2020 |
| Stations | Lund (53430), Stockholm (98210), Frösön/Östersund (134110), Kiruna Flygplats (180940) |
| Caveat | Frösön and Kiruna precipitation partly interpolated by SMHI for years without data |
| Season definition | Winter ≤ 0 °C daily mean; summer ≥ 10 °C; spring and autumn in between |
| Midnight sun, Kiruna | About 29 May–14 July (47 days) |
| Polar night, Kiruna | 27 days, with some twilight |
| Day length, far south | About 7–17 hours |
| Forecasts and warnings | smhi.se and the SMHI app (free) |
| Fire-ban status | The fire-ban map at krisinformation.se, per municipality |
FAQ
What is the warmest month in Sweden?
July. On SMHI’s 1991–2020 normals it is the warmest month at all four reference stations: 18.3 °C in Lund, 18.7 °C in Stockholm, 14.6 °C at Östersund and 13.2 °C in Kiruna. These are 24-hour means, so afternoons are warmer and nights cooler. Any single July can differ by several degrees from the normal.
How cold is Sweden in winter?
It depends on where you are. January’s normal mean is about +1 °C in Lund, −1 °C in Stockholm, −5.5 °C at Östersund and −11 °C in Kiruna. SMHI’s meteorologist names Randijaur in Lapland at −15.1 °C, and Karesuando recorded −49.0 °C in January 1999. Wind makes any of these feel colder.
When does it snow in Sweden?
In the north, early and for a long time: northern Lapland and the Norrland mountains average over 200 days a year with snow cover, starting in September on the high fjäll. On the Götaland coasts snow cover lasts fewer than 50 days a year, and on the Skåne south coast it typically forms well into December or later.
When can you see the midnight sun in Sweden?
Only north of the Arctic Circle, at about 66.5° N. In Kiruna, SMHI cites the Swedish almanac: midnight sun from 29 May to 14 July, 47 days in a row. Further south the sun sets briefly, but southernmost Sweden still gets about 17 hours of daylight at midsummer.
How dark is Sweden in winter?
In southernmost Sweden the shortest day is about 7 hours. North of the Arctic Circle the sun does not rise at all around midwinter: in Kiruna the polar night lasts 27 days, though there are still a few hours of twilight each day. Days lengthen fastest in spring, by more than ten minutes a day in the far north.
What do SMHI’s yellow, orange and red warnings mean?
Yellow means some damage to property and some disruption to society is possible. Orange means danger to the public, serious damage and disruption. Red means great danger to the public and very serious damage. Warnings are regional, so the same snowfall can be yellow in one place and orange in another. Check smhi.se or the SMHI app.
Does it rain a lot in Sweden?
Less than many visitors expect in the east and north, more in the west. Annual normals are about 546 mm in Stockholm, 676 mm in Lund and 912 mm in Gothenburg. Summer is the wettest season at most stations: August in Lund, and July in Kiruna with about 104 mm.
Related guides
- What to pack for a Swedish winter: turns the cold half of this table into a packing list
- What to pack for a Swedish summer: the same for June to August
- The best time to visit Sweden: weighs weather against crowds, prices and events
- Northern lights: when and where to see them
- Winter driving: winter tires, black ice and mountain convoys
Facts verified 2026-09-24. Sources: SMHI (normal values 1991–2020, seasons, daylight, snow, warnings), Krisinformation.se, SVA, Trafikverket, Fjällsäkerhetsrådet, Issäkerhetsrådet, STF — full register in this topic’s source file. Normals describe past climate, not next month’s weather. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.