Sweden Weather

Weather

Sweden has a mostly cool climate with the southern quarter of the country being warmer. Yearly rainfall is moderate due to Norway’s mountains acting as a rain break. Summers are fairly sunny with occasional rainfall however August is usually fairly wet. The average maximum temperature for July is 20 degrees Celsius in the south and around 17 degree in the north. Sweden can experience long hot periods throughout summer with temperatures reaching to over 30 degrees.

Winter starts in October and ends in April and temperatures can fall to as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius. There is usually heavy snow fall in the north making for superb skiing but usually little snow in the south. The west coast is warmer than the east due to the warming waters of the Gulf Stream.

Sweden is at its best during summer and autumn (late May to September) but campers and hikers may want to avoid mosquito season (June and July). Travel in winter is restricted but there are great opportunities for skiing and snowmobiling. Major cities operate all year round however smaller towns go into hibernation when the temperatures really get low. Recommended clothing is light-to-medium weights for summer, heavyweights for winter and rainwear all year.