Climate of Sweden
{{Short description|none}}
File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_SWE_1991–2020.svg types of Sweden using the 0°C isotherm ]]
File:Sweden Köppen.svg types of Sweden using the -3°C isotherm (1980-2016)]]
The south of Sweden has a temperate climate, despite its northern latitude, with largely four distinct seasons and mild temperatures throughout the year. The winter in the far south is usually mild and is manifested only through some shorter periods with snow and sub-zero temperatures; autumn may well turn into spring there, without a distinct period of winter. The northern parts of the country have a subarctic climate while the central parts have a humid continental climate. The coastal south can be defined as having either a humid continental climate using the 0 °C isotherm or an oceanic climate using the –3 °C isotherm.
Overview
Due to the increased maritime moderation in the peninsular south, summer differences between the coastlines of the southernmost and northernmost regions are about {{convert|2|C-change|0}} in summer and {{convert|10|C-change}} in winter. In the northern interior, the winter difference in the far north is about {{convert|15|C-change}} throughout the country. The warmest summers usually happen in the Mälaren Valley around Stockholm{{cite web|url=https://www.smhi.se/data/meteorologi/dataserier-med-normalvarden-for-perioden-1991-2020-1.167775|title=Dataserier med normalvärden för perioden 1991-2020|publisher=SMHI|language=sv|access-date=1 November 2021}} due to the vast landmass shielding the middle east coast from Atlantic low-pressure systems in July compared to the south and west. Daytime highs in Sweden's municipal seats vary from {{convert|19|C|F}} to {{convert|24|C|F}} in July and {{convert|-9|C|F}} to {{convert|3|C|F}} in January. The colder temperatures are influenced by the higher elevation in the northern interior. At sea level, the coldest average highs range from {{convert|21|C|F}} to {{convert|-6|C|F}}. As a result of the mild summers, the arctic region of Norrbotten has some of the northernmost agriculture in the world.{{cite web|url=https://www.slu.se/fakulteter/vh/samverkan/regional-jordbruksforskning-for-norra-sverige/rjn-det-norrlandska-klimatets-fordelar/|title=Det norrländska klimatets fördelar|publisher=Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet|language=sv|date=5 October 2021|access-date=1 November 2021}}
Sweden is much warmer and drier than other places at a similar latitude, and even somewhat farther south, mainly because of the combination of the Gulf Stream{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml |publisher=BBC |title=BBC Climate and the Gulf Stream |access-date=29 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928040727/http://www.bbc.co.uk/climate/impact/gulf_stream.shtml |archive-date=28 September 2008 |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |url=http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/ocp/gs/ |title=The Gulf Stream Myth |journal=Monthly Weather Review |volume=28 |issue=9 |pages=393–394 |access-date=29 October 2008 |bibcode=1900MWRv...28..393W |last1=Watts |first1=Harvey Maitland |year=1900 |doi=10.1175/1520-0493(1900)28[393:TGSM]2.0.CO;2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225021029/http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/res/div/ocp/gs/ |archive-date=25 February 2011 |url-status=live |doi-access=free }} and the general west wind drift, caused by the direction of Earth's rotation. Continental west-coasts (to which all of Scandinavia belongs, as the westernmost part of the Eurasian continent) are notably warmer than continental east-coasts; this can also be seen by comparing the Canadian cities of Vancouver, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the winter in Vancouver being much milder. Accordingly, central and southern Sweden have much milder winters than many parts of Russia, Canada, and the northern United States.{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/FAOINFO/SUSTDEV/EIdirect/climate/EIsp0002.htm |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |title=Global Climate Maps |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117173015/http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/sustdev/EIdirect/climate/EIsp0002.htm |archive-date=17 November 2006}} Because of Sweden's high latitude, the length of daylight varies greatly. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun never sets for part of each summer, and it never rises for part of each winter. In the capital, Stockholm, daylight lasts for more than 18 hours in late June but only around 6 hours in late December. Sweden receives between 1,100 and 1,900 hours of sunshine annually.{{cite web |url=http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/stralning/1.3052 |title=Normal solskenstid för ett år |language=sv |publisher=Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute |access-date=27 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826085626/http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/stralning/1.3052 |archive-date=26 August 2010 |url-status=live }}
Temperatures expected in Sweden are heavily influenced by the large Fennoscandian landmass, as well as continental Europe and western Russia, which allows hot or cool inland air to be easily transported to Sweden. That, in turn, renders most of Sweden's southern areas having warmer summers than almost everywhere in the nearby British Isles, even matching temperatures found along the continental Atlantic coast as far south as in northern Spain. In winter, however, the same high-pressure systems sometimes put the entire country far below freezing temperatures. There is some maritime moderation from the Atlantic which renders the Swedish continental climate less severe than that of nearby Russia. Even though temperature patterns differ between north and south, the summer climate is surprisingly similar all through the entire country in spite of the large latitudinal differences. This is due to the south's being surrounded by a greater mass of water, with the wider Baltic Sea and the Atlantic air passing over lowland areas from the south-west.
Apart from the ice-free Atlantic bringing marine air into Sweden tempering winters, the mildness is further explained by prevailing low-pressure systems postponing winter, with the long nights often staying above freezing in the south of the country due to the abundant cloud cover. By the time winter finally breaks through, daylight hours rise quickly, ensuring that daytime temperatures soar quickly in spring. With the greater number of clear nights, frosts remain commonplace quite far south as late as April. The cold winters occur when low-pressure systems are weaker. An example is that the coldest ever month (January 1987) in Stockholm was also the sunniest January month on record.{{cite web|url=http://data.smhi.se/met/climate/time_series/month/vov_pdf/SMHI_vov_precipitation_sunshine_jan15.pdf?71642|title=Precipitation, Sunshine & Radiation for January 2015 (all-time records section)|language=sv|publisher=Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute|access-date=31 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115212312/http://data.smhi.se/met/climate/time_series/month/vov_pdf/SMHI_vov_precipitation_sunshine_jan15.pdf?71642|archive-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://data.smhi.se/met/climate/time_series/month/vov_pdf/SMHI_vov_temperature_wind_jan15.pdf?18701|title=Temperature & Wind – January 2015 (all-time records section)|language=sv|publisher=Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute|access-date=31 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115212312/http://data.smhi.se/met/climate/time_series/month/vov_pdf/SMHI_vov_temperature_wind_jan15.pdf?18701|archive-date=15 January 2016|url-status=live}}
The relative strength of low and high-pressure systems of marine and continental air also define the highly variable summers. When hot continental air hits the country, the long days and short nights frequently bring temperatures up to {{convert|30|C|F}} or above even in coastal areas. Nights normally remain cool, especially in inland areas. Coastal areas can see so-called tropical nights above {{convert|20|C|F}} occur due to the moderating sea influence during warmer summers.{{cite web|url=http://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/tropiska-natter-1.1085|title=Tropiska nätter|trans-title=Tropical nights|publisher=Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute|language=sv|access-date=9 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065821/http://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/tropiska-natter-1.1085|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=live}} Summers can be cool, especially in the north of the country. Transitional seasons are normally quite extensive and the four-season climate applies to most of Sweden's territory, except in Scania where some years do not record a meteorological winter (see table below) or in the high Lapland mountains where polar microclimates exist.
=Extremes=
The highest temperature ever recorded in Sweden was {{convert|38|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in Målilla in June 1947,{{cite web |url=http://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/svenska-temperaturrekord-1.5792 |title=Svenska temperaturrekord |publisher=Sveriges meteorologiska och hydrologiska institut |access-date=15 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815175701/http://www.smhi.se/kunskapsbanken/meteorologi/svenska-temperaturrekord-1.5792 |archive-date=15 August 2017 |url-status=live }} a record shared with Ultuna in Uppland. The coldest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|-52.6|°C|1|abbr=on}} in Vuoggatjålme on 2 February 1966.{{cite web |url=https://geographic.org/global_weather/weather_data.php?month=02&year=1966&id=SWE00140744&path=weather_stations/sw000000000_szz99999999/SWE00140744.dly&name=Vuoggatjalme&country=Sweden |title=Weather Data: Sweden, Vuoggatjalme, 1966, February |publisher=geographic.org |access-date=27 June 2020}}
=Precipitation=
On average, most of Sweden receives between {{convert|500|and|800|mm|0|abbr=on}} of precipitation each year, making it considerably drier than the global average. The south-western part of the country receives more precipitation, between {{convert|1000|and|1200|mm|0|abbr=on}}, and some mountain areas in the north are estimated to receive up to {{convert|2000|mm|0|abbr=on}}. Despite northerly locations, southern and central Sweden may have almost no snow in some winters. Most of Sweden is located in the rain shadow of the Scandinavian Mountains through Norway and north-west Sweden. The blocking of cool and wet air in summer, as well as the greater landmass, leads to warm and dry summers far north in the country, with quite warm summers at the Bothnia Bay coast at 65 degrees latitude, which is unheard of elsewhere in the world at such northerly coastlines.
Climate change
{{Excerpt|Climate change in Sweden}}
It is predicted that as the Barents Sea gets less frozen in the coming winters, becoming thus "Atlantified", additional evaporation will increase future snowfalls in Sweden and much of continental Europe.{{Cite journal|title=Arctic sea-ice loss fuels extreme European snowfall|journal=Nature Geoscience|url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00719-y|last1=Bailey|first1=Hannah|date=1 April 2021|last2=Hubbard|first2=Alun|last3=Klen|first3=Eric S.|last4=Mustonen|first4=Kaisa-Riikka|last5=Akers|first5=Pete D.|last6=Marttila|first6=Hannu|last7=Welker|first7=Jeffrey M.|volume=14|issue=5|pages=283–288|doi=10.1038/s41561-021-00719-y | issn=1752-0894|bibcode=2021NatGe..14..283B|hdl=10037/20941|s2cid=232765992|hdl-access=free}}
Examples
=Climate charts=
{{climate chart
|- 1 |3 |62
|- 2 |3 |41
|0 |6 |50
|4 |12 |42
|8 |17 |51
|12 |20 |61
|15 |23 |68
|14 |22 |77
|11 |18 |81
|6 |12 |84
|3 |7 |84
|0 |4 |75
| float=
| clear=none
| source= Climatedata.eu{{cite web|url=http://www.climatedata.eu/climate.php?loc=swxx0007&lang=en |title=Climate Gothenburg - Västra Götaland |publisher=Climatedata.eu |access-date=2014-08-26}} }}
{{climate chart
| Kiruna
|- 21 |-11 |30
|- 22 |-8 |25
|- 18 |-4 |26
|- 9 |0 |26
|- 1 |8 |33
|5 |15 |48
|7 |18 |86
|5 |15 |73
|0 |10 |49
|- 10 |-2 |47
|- 13 |-6 |41
|- 19 |-8 |34
| float=
| clear=none
{{climate chart
|- 4 |1 |40
|- 4 |1 |25
|- 2 |6 |25
|1 |11 |30
|6 |16 |30
|10 |21 |45
|13 |23 |60
|12 |22 |50
|8 |17 |55
|5 |11 |45
|2 |6 |50
|- 2 |3 |45
|float=
|clear= none
{{climate chart
|- 3 |1 |39
|- 3 |1 |27
|- 1 |5 |26
|3 |11 |30
|7 |17 |30
|12 |21 |45
|15 |24 |72
|14 |22 |66
|10 |17 |55
|6 |10 |50
|2 |5 |53
|- 1 |2 |46
|float=
|clear= none
Swedish Meteorological Institute, SMHI's monthly average temperatures of some of their weather stations – for the latest scientific full prefixed thirty-year period 1961–1990
Next will be presented in year 2020. The weather stations are sorted from south towards north by their numbers.
=Table=
| class="wikitable" | ||||||||||||||
| stn.nr. | station | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5337 | Malmö | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2.2 | 6.4 | 11.6 | 15.8 | 17.1 | 16.8 | 13.6 | 9.8 | 5.3 | 1.9 | 8.4 |
| 6203 | Helsingborg | 0.6 | −0.1 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 11.2 | 15.3 | 16.7 | 16.6 | 13.6 | 9.9 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 8.3 |
| 6451 | Växjö | −2.8 | −2.8 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 10.2 | 14.3 | 15.3 | 14.9 | 11.2 | 7.0 | 2.3 | −1.2 | 6.1 |
| 7839 | Visby | −0.5 | −1.2 | 0.7 | 4.1 | 9.5 | 14.0 | 16.4 | 16.0 | 12.5 | 8.6 | 4.3 | 1.2 | 7.1 |
| 7447 | Jönköping | −2.6 | −2.7 | 0.3 | 4.7 | 10.0 | 14.5 | 15.9 | 15.0 | 11.3 | 7.5 | 2.8 | −0.7 | 6.3 |
| 7263 | Gothenburg | −0.9 | −0.9 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 11.6 | 15.5 | 16.6 | 16.2 | 12.8 | 9.1 | 4.4 | 1.0 | 7.8 |
| 8323 | Skövde | −2.8 | −2.9 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 10.6 | 15.0 | 16.2 | 15.2 | 11.1 | 7.1 | 2.2 | −1.1 | 6.3 |
| 8634 | Norrköping | −3.0 | −3.2 | 0.0 | 4.5 | 10.4 | 15.1 | 16.6 | 15.5 | 11.3 | 7.2 | 2.2 | −1.4 | 6.3 |
| 9516 | Örebro | −4.0 | −4.0 | −0.5 | 4.3 | 10.7 | 15.3 | 16.5 | 15.3 | 10.9 | 6.6 | 1.3 | −2.4 | 5.8 |
| 9720 | Stockholm Bromma | −3.5 | −3.7 | −0.5 | 4.3 | 10.4 | 15.2 | 16.8 | 15.8 | 11.4 | 7.0 | 2.0 | −1.8 | 6.1 |
| 9739 | Stockholm Arlanda | −4.3 | −4.6 | −1.0 | 3.9 | 9.9 | 14.8 | 16.5 | 15.2 | 10.7 | 6.4 | 1.2 | −2.6 | 5.5 |
| 10458 | Mora | −7.4 | −7.2 | −2.4 | 2.5 | 9.1 | 14.1 | 15.4 | 13.5 | 9.3 | 4.9 | −1.6 | −6.1 | 3.7 |
| 10740 | Gävle | −4.8 | −4.5 | −1.0 | 3.4 | 9.3 | 14.6 | 16.3 | 14.9 | 10.6 | 6.0 | 0.6 | −3.3 | 5.2 |
| 12724 | Sundsvall | −7.5 | −6.3 | −2.3 | 2.5 | 8.2 | 13.8 | 15.2 | 13.8 | 9.4 | 4.8 | −1.5 | −5.7 | 3.6 |
| 13410 | Östersund | −8.9 | −7.6 | −3.5 | 1.3 | 7.6 | 12.5 | 13.9 | 12.7 | 8.2 | 3.8 | −2.4 | −6.3 | 2.6 |
| 14050 | Umeå | −8.7 | −8.3 | −4.0 | 1.4 | 7.6 | 13.3 | 15.6 | 13.8 | 9.0 | 4.0 | −2.3 | −6.4 | 2.9 |
| 15045 | Skellefteå | −10.2 | −8.7 | −4.2 | 1.2 | 7.6 | 13.6 | 15.7 | 13.5 | 8.5 | 3.2 | −3.4 | −7.5 | 2.5 |
| 16288 | Luleå | −12.2 | −11.0 | −6.0 | 0.3 | 6.6 | 13.0 | 15.4 | 13.3 | 8.0 | 2.6 | −4.5 | −9.7 | 1.3 |
| 16395 | Haparanda | −12.1 | −11.4 | −6.8 | −0.5 | 6.1 | 12.8 | 15.4 | 13.2 | 8.0 | 2.5 | −4.2 | −9.5 | 1.1 |
| 16988 | Jokkmokk | −17.5 | −14.9 | −8.6 | −1.1 | 5.9 | 12.2 | 14.3 | 11.8 | 5.7 | −0.2 | −9.3 | −14.6 | -1.4 |
| 17897 | Tarfala (a mountain peak) | −11.8 | −11.3 | −10.6 | −7.5 | −1.9 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 5.3 | 0.8 | −3.9 | −7.9 | −10.7 | -4.2 |
| 18076 | Gällivare | −14.3 | −12.5 | −8.4 | −1.9 | 5.0 | 11.0 | 13.0 | 10.7 | 5.6 | −0.6 | −8.1 | −12.2 | -1.1 |
| 18094 | Kiruna | −13.9 | −12.5 | −8.7 | −3.2 | 3.4 | 9.6 | 12.0 | 9.8 | 4.6 | −1.4 | −8.1 | −11.9 | -1.7 |
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Stockholm (Observatorielunden), 1991-2020 normals and extremes
|collapsed = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 11.0
|Feb record high C = 11.6
|Mar record high C = 17.5
|Apr record high C = 26.1
|May record high C = 29.0
|Jun record high C = 31.7
|Jul record high C = 34.2
|Aug record high C = 32.1
|Sep record high C = 26.2
|Oct record high C = 19.5
|Nov record high C = 15.0
|Dec record high C = 12.7
|year record high C =
|Jan avg record high C = 6.6
|Feb avg record high C = 7.1
|Mar avg record high C = 12.0
|Apr avg record high C = 18.8
|May avg record high C = 24.3
|Jun avg record high C = 27.5
|Jul avg record high C = 29.7
|Aug avg record high C = 28.2
|Sep avg record high C = 22.4
|Oct avg record high C = 15.8
|Nov avg record high C = 10.7
|Dec avg record high C = 8.5
|year avg record high C = 30.6
|Jan high C = 1.0
|Feb high C = 1.2
|Mar high C = 4.7
|Apr high C = 10.7
|May high C = 16.5
|Jun high C = 20.8
|Jul high C = 23.6
|Aug high C = 22.1
|Sep high C = 16.6
|Oct high C = 10.1
|Nov high C = 5.4
|Dec high C = 2.5
|year high C = 11.3
|Jan mean C = -1.0
|Feb mean C = -1.0
|Mar mean C = 1.6
|Apr mean C = 6.3
|May mean C = 11.4
|Jun mean C = 15.7
|Jul mean C = 18.7
|Aug mean C = 17.7
|Sep mean C = 13.1
|Oct mean C = 7.7
|Nov mean C = 3.6
|Dec mean C = 0.6
|year mean C = 7.9
|Jan low C = -2.9
|Feb low C = -3.2
|Mar low C = -1.1
|Apr low C = 2.6
|May low C = 7.1
|Jun low C = 11.6
|Jul low C = 14.8
|Aug low C = 14.2
|Sep low C = 10.2
|Oct low C = 5.5
|Nov low C = 1.9
|Dec low C = -1.2
|year low C = 5.0
|Jan avg record low C = -11.2
|Feb avg record low C = -10.9
|Mar avg record low C = -7.5
|Apr avg record low C = -2.6
|May avg record low C = 1.9
|Jun avg record low C = 7.0
|Jul avg record low C = 10.6
|Aug avg record low C = 9.7
|Sep avg record low C = 4.6
|Oct avg record low C = -0.8
|Nov avg record low C = -4.5
|Dec avg record low C = -8.3
|year avg record low C = -13.7
|Jan record low C = -19.3
|Feb record low C = -21.0
|Mar record low C = -14.6
|Apr record low C = -6.7
|May record low C = -1.4
|Jun record low C = 3.7
|Jul record low C = 7.8
|Aug record low C = 6.5
|Sep record low C = 1.2
|Oct record low C = -6.4
|Nov record low C = -11.3
|Dec record low C = -18.5
|year record low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 37.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 29.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 27.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 29.2
|May precipitation mm = 34.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 61.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 61.5
|Aug precipitation mm = 66.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 53.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 51.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 47.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 47.8
|year precipitation mm = 546.4
|Jan snow cm = 23.3
|Feb snow cm = 25.6
|Mar snow cm = 18.1
|Apr snow cm = 5.9
|May snow cm = 1.1
|Jun snow cm = 0.0
|Jul snow cm = 0.0
|Aug snow cm = 0.0
|Sep snow cm = 0.0
|Oct snow cm = 1.8
|Nov snow cm = 6.6
|Dec snow cm = 20.3
|year snow cm =
|Jan sun = 44
|Feb sun = 75
|Mar sun = 151
|Apr sun = 217
|May sun = 278
|Jun sun = 277
|Jul sun = 279
|Aug sun = 235
|Sep sun = 170
|Oct sun = 96
|Nov sun = 45
|Dec sun = 33
|year sun = 1900
}}
{{clear}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}