Info about Sweden
Sweden climate
As it is a Northern country, when you think of Sweden, you expect cold and more cold. Although being quite far from the sunshine kingdom, Sweden is not as snowy and inhospitable as one may imagine.
Actually, Sweden is warmer that most regions situated at the same altitude. Most of this is due to the Gulf Stream that brings warmth from the southern areas. As a result, Sweden has four seasons, although their features vary from the normal continental ones.
When it comes to Swedish climate, we have to divide the country into three parts. The one in the far South has a maritime climate as it is surrounded by waters, the central part of Sweden has a humid continental climate, while the most Northern region has a subarctic climate. Nevertheless, Sweden is drier and warmer than many other countries at the same latitude, so the life here is more pleasant.
However, the high latitude proves its points when it comes to sunshine. The length of the daylight vary widely during the year and also from North to South. In the Northern area, most on the summer, the sun never sets down and during the winter, there is a long period when it does not rise up. In the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, localized in the center of the country, inhabitants enjoy as many as 18 hours of daylight in summer, while in winter they barely get around 6 in December.
As expected, the temperatures vary depending on latitude. As a consequence the average annual temperature in the North and in the South is quite different. In the Southern area, there are warm summers with temperatures between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius maximum and a minimum of 12-14 degrees Celsius, and mild winters with an average temperature of -4 to 2 degrees Celsius. The Northern regions welcome snowier winters that are not so enjoyable with temperatures that low under 0 degrees Celsius from September to May.
Thanks to the Gulf Stream, there are waves of warmth that reach the Swedish territory and temperatues above 30 degrees Celsius are possible. Actually, the biggest temperature that was ever recorded in Sweden was of 38 degrees Celsius in 1947, while the lowest was of only –52.6 degrees Celsius in 1966.
The average annual precipitation received by Sweden is somewhere between 500 and 800 mm, which means that this country is drier than the global average. However, in the southwestern region there is some more precipitation, varying from from 100 to 1200 mm, while in the mountains this can rise up to 2000mm. The snow fall is important especially in the North, where it usually snows from October to May. Despite the northern location of the country, quite often the southern and central parts of Sweden have a dry winter.
Being situated so far in the North it is expected that Sweden has a much rougher climate, but the Gulf Stream certainly acts in favour of its inhabitants. Having a milder weather than southern areas from Rusia, Canada or United States, Sweden offers a climate that enables you to enjoy all its beauties.