Riksgränsen
{{Short description|Ski resort in Lappland, Sweden}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox ski area
| name = Riksgränsen
| logo =
| picture = Riksgr%C3%A4nsen_ski_resort.jpg
| caption = Lift in Riksgränsen
| pushpin_map = Sweden Norrbotten#Sweden
| location =
| nearest_city =
| coordinates = {{coord|68|25|40|N|18|07|20|E|region:SE_type:city(100)|display=inline,title}}
| vertical = {{convert|410|m|abbr=on}}
| top_elevation = 909
| base_elevation = 520
| skiable_area =
| total_length = 15
| number_trails = 28
| longest_run =
| liftsystem = 6
| lift_capacity = 7400 passengers/hr
| terrainparks =
| snowfall =
| snowmaking = no
| nightskiing = Selected days (under midnight sun)
| external_link =
}}
{{langnf|sv|Riksgränsen|National Border|paren=left}}; {{langx|no|Riksgrensen}}) is a Swedish ski resort located at the northwest edge of Kiruna Municipality in Lappland, next to the Norwegian border. The skiing season is from February to June, and from the end of May the lifts operate under the midnight sun. One of the pistes cross the border to Norway and back to Sweden, where there is no border control due to the Schengen Agreement. It is the most northerly ski resort in the world, being roughly {{convert|200|km}} north of the Arctic Circle.{{cite web |title=World’s Most Northerly Ski Area Opens for 2022 Season |url=https://www.snow-forecast.com/whiteroom/worlds-most-northerly-ski-area-opens-for-2022-season/#:~:text=But%20at%2070%C2%B058,There%20are%20hotels |website=The Whiteroom by Snow-Forecast.com |date=29 January 2022}}
Riksgränsen is a popular location for the winter testing of pre-production cars by various European manufacturers. Photo-snipers are prevalent, attempting to get the first spy-shots of new models, though their activities are frowned upon by local hoteliers who value the custom of the manufacturers. The same manufacturers frequently use the location for winter launches, bringing journalists from across the world to drive the new cars on snow-covered roads and on courses specially prepared on frozen lakes.
File:Riksgr%C3%A4nsen_-_KMB_-_16000300023826.jpg|Riksgränsen, August 1994
File:Riksgränsen,_2020-05-16.jpg|Riksgränsen, May 2020
History
The village was founded around 1900 in connection with the construction of the railway, whose traffic began 1902. Due to railway politics and limited range for steam locomotives, trains changed locomotives and crew and a roundhouse for locomotives was built. Later, after electrification 1923, this roundhouse was removed and locomotives went all the way to Narvik. Tourism picked up in the 1930:s. The first ski lift was built 1952.
Climate
Although the subarctic climate (Koppen: Dfc) of the region is very cold, it has considerably milder winters than normally expected for an inland northerly area, due to its proximity to the warm North Atlantic Current. Summers do remain cool in spite of the midnight sun due to similar maritime effects. With prevailing low-pressure systems taking precedence, the climate is snowy and cloudy. The deep snow cover and the time it takes for thawing prolongs the skiing season to the midnight sun window. The snow depth can be above {{convert|200|cm|ft}} in unshovelled areas during spring. The snow depth charts have sometimes ended during late May when the pack has been shrinking, which skews the June readings that likely are a bit higher. In 2020, a {{convert|145|cm|ft}} snow depth was measured in that month.{{cite web|url=https://www.smhi.se/data/meteorologi/ladda-ner-meteorologiska-observationer/#param=snowDepth,stations=all,stationid=188820|title=Ladda ner meteorologiska observationer för Katterjåkk|publisher=SMHI|language=sv|accessdate=27 May 2021}}
{{Weather box
|metric first = yes
|single line = j
|location = Katterjåkk, 2002–2020 (extremes since 1901)
|Jan record high C = 7.1
|Feb record high C = 6.4
|Mar record high C = 7.0
|Apr record high C = 12.6
|May record high C = 23.5
|Jun record high C = 27.8
|Jul record high C = 30.0
|Aug record high C = 28.2
|Sep record high C = 21.8
|Oct record high C = 14.7
|Nov record high C = 10.4
|Dec record high C = 8.5
|year record high C =
|Jan avg record high C = 2.8
|Feb avg record high C = 2.6
|Mar avg record high C = 3.3
|Apr avg record high C = 7.4
|May avg record high C = 14.2
|Jun avg record high C = 20.3
|Jul avg record high C = 23.6
|Aug avg record high C = 22.1
|Sep avg record high C = 16.3
|Oct avg record high C = 8.9
|Nov avg record high C = 5.2
|Dec avg record high C = 3.7
|year avg record high C = 24.5
|Jan high C = -7.0
|Feb high C = -6.7
|Mar high C = -3.9
|Apr high C = 1.2
|May high C = 6.1
|Jun high C = 11.8
|Jul high C = 16.4
|Aug high C = 14.3
|Sep high C = 8.9
|Oct high C = 2.0
|Nov high C = -1.8
|Dec high C = -4.1
|year high C =
|Jan mean C = -10.5
|Feb mean C = -10.2
|Mar mean C = -7.3
|Apr mean C = -2.2
|May mean C = 2.9
|Jun mean C = 8.1
|Jul mean C = 12.4
|Aug mean C = 10.7
|Sep mean C = 6.0
|Oct mean C = -0.5
|Nov mean C = -4.7
|Dec mean C = -7.4
|year mean C =
|Jan low C = -14.0
|Feb low C = -13.6
|Mar low C = -10.7
|Apr low C = -5.6
|May low C = -0.4
|Jun low C = 4.4
|Jul low C = 8.3
|Aug low C = 7.1
|Sep low C = 3.1
|Oct low C = -2.9
|Nov low C = -7.5
|Dec low C = -10.6
|year low C =
|Jan avg record low C = -24.8
|Feb avg record low C = -25.4
|Mar avg record low C = -21.0
|Apr avg record low C = -15.0
|May avg record low C = -7.5
|Jun avg record low C = -0.4
|Jul avg record low C = 3.6
|Aug avg record low C = 1.6
|Sep avg record low C = -2.8
|Oct avg record low C = -11.0
|Nov avg record low C = -16.2
|Dec avg record low C = -20.9
|year avg record low C = -28.0
|Jan record low C = -34.5
|Feb record low C = -35.2
|Mar record low C = -30.9
|Apr record low C = -24.0
|May record low C = -15.1
|Jun record low C = -9.0
|Jul record low C = -0.5
|Aug record low C = -3.0
|Sep record low C = -8.8
|Oct record low C = -20.0
|Nov record low C = -25.0
|Dec record low C = -33.0
|year record low C =
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 79.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 68.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 73.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 45.1
|May precipitation mm = 47.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 71.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 82.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 73.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 105.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 80.8
|Nov precipitation mm = 65.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 83.1
|year precipitation mm =
|snow colour = green
|Jan snow depth cm = 104
|Feb snow depth cm = 131
|Mar snow depth cm = 155
|Apr snow depth cm = 157
|May snow depth cm = 130
|Jun snow depth cm = 36
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 5
|Oct snow depth cm = 24
|Nov snow depth cm = 43
|Dec snow depth cm = 78
|year snow depth cm = 163
|Jan sun = 0
|Feb sun = 22
|Mar sun = 88
|Apr sun = 153
|May sun = 201
|Jun sun = 201
|Jul sun = 217
|Aug sun = 153
|Sep sun = 80
|Oct sun = 42
|Nov sun = 1
|Dec sun = 0
|yeard sun =
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.riksgransen.se/ Riksgränsen]
{{commonscat}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riksgransen}}
Category:Ski areas and resorts in Sweden
Category:Buildings and structures in Norrbotten County