Swedish Weather

[Marduk]

The cold is certainly dividing Scandinavia into a brutally cold, and a just semi-cold part.

Stockholm is just in the semi-cold part, now at -3°c, and yesterdays snowfall has now stopped,

and the snow accumulations landed on around 16 cm of powdery snow. Now it seems that it will

gradually become colder, because the cloudyness has kept the temperatures well close

to zero the recent days.

Just over the Baltic sea there is much colder temperatures than in Stockholm. For instance

Helsinki lies somewhat on the same latitude as Stockholm, but this morning they hit -20°c

and the daytime maxima will land somewhere near -12°c today, with no wind at all.

And a few 100 km north of Stockholm the country is expecting daytime maxima below

-10°c, and in the very northern parts minimas close to -30°c.

Here in Stockholm we are now experiencing -3°c and a brisk northeasterly wind which

is somewhat giving some snow drifts and wind chill values below -10°c.

I really hope that we could get some lake effect right now, since there is temperatures below

zero at the sea and a water temperature of 5°c. That could give some heavy snow showers

further inland!

Edited December 16, 2009 by Sillkalven

[Marduk]

Right now there are blizzard conditions and it is very very cold!

Northern Sweden and on the eastern side of the Baltic sea they are sitting now at -10°c to -20°c, with no wind.

Stockholm has now -6,5° and windy conditions and heavy powdery snowfall, with a visibility of just 200 m.

This could give up to 20 cm extra of snow on the ground!

[Marduk]

The forecast for tomorrow:

The cold just do not want to end. It seems that this month will end up with quite below

average temperatures. And since my last reply I must say it has fallen quite a lot of new snow,

but it is hard to say how much that has fallen.

In Stockholm the area reports are saying everything from 25-50 cm snow on the ground

for the moment, but it varies quite much in just a few kilometers here, since that it has mainly

been snow showers from the Baltic sea here the recent time, and they appear very locally.

The 17th it was a fully developed snow storm for 2-3 hours in Stockholm, while cities just outside

had clear skies with good visibility.

Right now it is near -10°c with semi-clear skies and the landscape is covered in deep snow,

but when it is such a cold outside, the snow very easy sink and fall together since it is so light.

The Christmas eve forecast looks to be one of the best the last years. White Christmas

for the whole country with lots of snow everywhere. Temperatures in Stockholm are likely

to be well below zero at -5°c but maybe near 0°c at Christmas day, towards the new year

it is likely to become cooler once again.

Edited December 20, 2009 by Sillkalven

[Marduk]

Very cold air is now just over Stockholm, and the temps have once again plummeted towards -10°c and below.

Two days ago we had quite rough weather with -8°c midday with cloudy skies and rimefrost at the trees,

and by the midnight temperatures rose quickly, and the following day we experienced a 10°c higher temperature

midday at 2°c, it gave some thaw conditions but nothing special, since we still have quite some good accumulations

left. Now once again temperatures have plummeted and it is quite chilly outside at -8°c, but still very cloudy skies.

In some cities 100 km inland to the west they hit -20°c this morning and will not rise above -10°c today, due to

clear skies.

Tomorrow is forecasted with a tmax of -14°c and possibility of -20°c the early hours, with just light winds.

But I would still say that it seems very unlikely to get such temperatures , since http://www.smhi.se/

did forecast a cloudless sky for us today, but it is now the completely opposite.

[Spurry]

Had a phone call from my best mate who lives in Kungälv (Nr Göteborg), it is currently -10C with lying snow and a severe frost ...i've added a link which will take you to the webcam on the main rd over the River Alv bridge, i'm so jealous..i just wan't to go over...best country in the World

My link

Edited December 31, 2009 by Spurry

[Marduk]

Yes we have some quite extraordinary winter weather right now, but nearly -10°c in the middle of the day

at the west coast is not a normal sight in the winter since they are most prone to the South Westerlies during

the winter in Sweden!

In Stockholm we are now experiencing some light snow showers drifting towards land from the Baltic sea this

last day of the year with -7°c, and all trees are covered in a light coating of rime frost. It looks completely stunning!

And the forecast for the upcoming days is a very cold one! The normal value in the beginning of January is somewhat

around -6°c at night and -1°c midday for Stockholm, but it seems that all days will have maximas near -10°c and probably

some nights that will reach -20°c! I can not remember when we had the last time with so many consecutive winterdays

with averages around or below -10°c. Such temperatures are normal to experience during a few days in the end of Dec to Feb,

but mostly the winter weather in Stockholm are more or less very close to 0°c midday with quite grey skies and a not too deep

snowcover during a normal winters day.

This picture was taken yesterday when most of the cities in southern parts of Sweden did experience their coldest

December day since 2002 when some cities a few 100 km inland to the west of Stockholm did have maximas below

or near -15°c and morning temperatures of -20°c with clear skies. In Stockholm it hovered just around -10°c the

whole day with some misery fog which had drifted upon us from the Baltic sea which kept the temperatures up.

But we hade some nice rime coating at the trees and some light ice crystals falling from the skies!

Large icicles!

This picture shows how thick the fog was, and I was quite stunned when I saw that the waters didn't yet have

frozen over since all the lakes inland now were all frozen over with thick ice. But in a few days when the waters

have frozen the maritime feeling with fog and humidity will disappear I hope!

Once again large icicles!

Not suitable for swimming, but the duck likes it!

In the summertime many children use this mini-beach, and it is now beginning to freeze over.

And this is how the town centre of Stockholm looks today. Those waters are the last ones to get frozen over

in Stockholm during the winters, and sometimes it doesn't freeze over at all. But everything is pointing towards

cold weather the next days and some sea ice in the city centre this winter.

Edited December 31, 2009 by Sillkalven

[Methuselah]

Lovely pics, Sillkaven. A Polish friend told me that it's all turned to rain over there...

[Spurry]

Great photo's those Sillkaven, i have spent a lot of time in Sweden but only ever been to Stockholm once , the rest of my visits have been in Göteborg and further north skiiing in Hovjallet and Vemdalen, i hope to come over again in February but i'm not sure yet, if i do i hope the weather is similar to the way it is now , my 12yr old son will love it.

Gott Nytt Ar .

Ian

[Marduk]

Happy New Year/Gott Nytt År everyone!

If this chill continues it will be the best winter for some years now!

And in February it will be the annual Vikingarännet, a skating race which begins in Uppsala and

ends on the frozen waters 70 km further south as near as possible to the city centre. But as the

ice conditions are known to be treacherous in Stockholm wintertime, the skating race very seldom

ends up in the city centre, even though the organizers would like it to be so.

This is from February 2009, and we had one of our best ice winters in Stockholm for some time,

but a big big lack of good snow coverage, so that was one of the factors that made the ice to thicken

to a quite good depth, despite it was a quite normal temperated winter.

The end of 2009 and 2010 really did freeze together. The first day of the year gave some conditions

that I certainly would call real and proper winterweather! Constant temperature of -8°c the whole day

with light winds, variable cloudyness with some light snow flurries time to time and rime frost on the

trees. And the snow 'creaks' when walking on it!

[Marduk]

SEVERE cold right now across the whole country!

The west coast and the very southern most parts do experience now some blizzard conditions with high wind speeds and

moderate to heavy snowfall at temperatures -10°c to -2°c which will during the next hours give some very good accumulations

to the southern parts of the country. And from 59½° (Stockholm) and further north there will just be pure high pressure-cold the next day.

This day we experienced our first day with -15°c MID DAY since jan 2003!(!) Combined with the wind NW wind during the day the

windchill values were between -23°c to -18°c! It really felt very bitter and I saw that ice has formed now even in the city centre

of Stockholm. Normally it does form in the end of the winter, or some years even not. And this night is the coldest one for some years now.

Bromma, the city centre airport lies now steadily on -20°c and Arlanda some 40 km north of Stockholm lies now at a stunning -24°c!

Here are some pictures I made this day in a Piper Cherokee above Stockholm, sorry though for the crappy pictures. I blame my mobile camera!

Just before take-off inside the aircraft. It took some minutes to get the engine going

and 15 minutes to feel comfortable warmth inside!

Local cloud banks.

Smoke.

A really blurry picture of Stockholm, -18°c with good visibility just before the sunset.

Note the water way made by several icebreakers in front of the nose!

Edited January 6, 2010 by Sillkalven

[Marduk]

It has been some time now since the last post, and the most severe cold has now ended with more normal daytime temps.

The average so far in January has been around -8°c for the maxima and -15°c for the minima. Today we hit -2°c daytime, and it was the first day with a minima above -10°c! It was some overcast skies and some rime frost at the trees, and it certainly felt balmy outside to skip the gloves and the fur hats. This is much more normal weather, just some few degrees below, just enough not to freeze the face.

And it seems that the coming period will be very influenced by anti-cyclonic conditions in the east which will give mostly cloudy conditions with sunny outbreaks where temperatures may fall. This far we have got around 20 consecutive days below zero in Stockholm, and according to the latest forecasts, there is a possibility of holding the temperatures all below zero the whole month!

The most significant thing is that we had in January 2008 an average temperature of 1,6°c (+5,1°) with snow cover a few days in the beginning of the month with just some degrees below zero, and all the following days very mild temperatures with rain and total loss of winter weather. But now, two years after it seems that we may end up with an average near -10°c (-6,5°) that is absolutely stunning! <_<

[Marduk]

I found this interesting ice chart over the Baltic sea, and it is very clearly that there is a large amount of sea ice right now!

Most lakes and the coast line along the country is now totally frozen over and the most northerly part of the Gulf of Bothnia now with solid ice.

[Marduk]

It is the last day of January today, and it is just one word to say about this month, COLD!

Swedish newspapers are writing about this nearly every day to be honest, and now to sum this month,

the temperature averages at Stockholm Arlanda airport have been:

January 2010 in Stockholm:

Tmax: -6,4°c (-1,0°c 1961-1990)

Tavg: -9,1°c (-3,5°c 1961-1990)

Tmin: -11,7°c (-6,0°c 1961-1990)

Highest: -1°c the 17th mid day.

Lowest: -26°c the 6th in the morning.

Avg snow depth: 25 cm, 40 cm by the 28th.

January averages this far in the 21st century:

2000: -2°c

2001: -1,5°c

2002: -2°c

2003: -5°c

2004: -4°c

2005: 0,5°c

2006: -3,5°c

2007: -1°c

2008: 1,5°c

2009: -2,5°c

We can clearly see that most years have been slightly above the normal values, but this year, 2010 we have ended up around 5,5 degrees below the 1961-1990 value, and that is very exceptional!

Truly the coldest January since January 1987, the coldest one in modern time in Stockholm (-12,0°c average).

The month has been very moderated by anti-cyclonic conditions to the east which have been giving quite dreary

conditions through the month. The coldest day was January 6 and by far the coldest winter day I have been exposed

to (born in the end of 1988), when -26°c was registrated at the morning and no higher than -15°c mid day.

Most of the snow fell prior to christmas and through the beginning of the new year, and since then it has been

quite calm through the whole month until the end when the air pressure felt the 28th from 1040 hPa to 990 hPa

in 24 hours, giving us some extra 15 cm of snow.

But the most remarkable thing with this month has been the complete abscence of above-degrees.

Not even 1987 when the temperature average was some 3 degrees lower than this year didn't always stick below zero.

Two days measured 1-2°c with a slight thaw. This year not a single day reached zero degrees or above in Stockholm,

and that is probably more unusual to get such a maxima than the temperature average for the whole month we now have landed on.

The lowest maxima from 1900 onwards was in 1917, when it rose to a temperature just below zero, (don't have the exact figure)

the maxima during a normal January month in Stockholm is around 4-5°c some day(s).

We will see in a few days from the Swedish Meteorological Bureau if this is an all time record this year or not!

I will end up this post with those three photos I took in the centre of the city a very cold and clear winters night.

Edited January 31, 2010 by Sillkalven

[Marduk]

February comes to an end, and it has been well mixed weather this month!

As all winter months this winter, February will end well below the average, with a very deep snow cover here in Stockholm.

I measured the 22nd a depth of 55 cm! And a temperature of -25°c was recorded in the morning! Extremely cold!

But things have now turned on to the mild side for the first time since December 28! We managed to record 59 consecutive

days with temperatures below freezing! We were so close to beat the record from 69/70 when we had 61 days in Stockholm.

But nevertheless, 59 days is extreme. I have never seen anything like that before, since my memory says that normal winter

weather has a week or so with temps below freezing, and ends up with a slight two day thaw, and then freezes once again

with new snow accumulations!

It is quite a difference when the temperatures at night goes from -25°c/-15°c to 0°c in just a few days. And the cold from the

beginning of the week is completely vanished with temperatures since yesterday at 0° to 2°, and it is foggy and misty outside,

completely miserable! The snow turns very wet and heavy and the streets get extremely slippery!

Tomorrow is expected to deliver the same conditions with this warm-front-weather before some new cold air from the north

sweeps down and will give some new cooler air which will freeze everything as it was before!

[johnholmes]

No one, me included, has thanked you for your posts, but they are really interesting, 59 ice days-grief if lowlying places in the UK had that it would be in the newspapers all the time. I doubt if even the hillier areas of Scotland exceeded that this winter.

thanks again

[BornFromTheVoid]

Agreed with John Holmes, I really enjoy your posts as well.

59 days in a row below freezing is hard to imagine. When we get a week close to 0, water pipes freeze and roads become almost unusable!

[03jtrickey]

Yes, thanks for these updates. I was actually showing a Swedish family round my school/6th form yesterday, they said what a cold and snowy winter it had been.

[Marduk]

Thanks!

Once again now on the chilly side. After four days with temps of 0-2°c it has now dropped to below normal temps.

Yesterday we had some moderate wet snow falling with temperatures of 0°c, and combined with accumulations up to

10 cm and refreezing at night, some very hazardous conditions were created!

The snow depth in my garden is now more than 50 cm, and it felt quite raw today, with -5°c mid day with brisk winds and some

snow showers! Chilly... It is expected that this weekend will become quite spring like though temperatures could be

down to -20°c at night and just a few degrees below at day. But the sun is now so powerful that it would certainly feel

much warmer than with the same conditions in December! :lol:

[Marduk]

It's now the middle of the month, and this far we have been on the below average side.

The first week was cold and snowy with maxima all days below zero with snow showers and wind.

The first weekend was very cold, and probably the last nights with temperatures near -20°c at night for this winter!

Pictures from the 6 March 2010:

After a very cold night with -17°c, the temperature was no higher than -2°c mid day with cloudless skies,

giving superb conditions for some private flying! Here we have the castle of Waxholm.

A wintry Grand Hôtel in the archipelago.

Stockholm City Hall.

Perfect weather for a walk on the ice.

The city centre from the ground. It was -2°c in the shade, but above degrees in

the sun, making the roads and pavements quite slushy.

The city centre around the island Gamla stan is the only place that is deliberately

made ice free during the winter months!

Last week the first real above degrees during the day started to show up with temperatures

between 1-4°c with sunshine all days. But since the temperatures have been near -10°c or lower

mostly all nights during March, the avg. temps during the days are still below zero making it feel

still quite wintry.

But by the weekend some new weather conditions are likely to set up. There have been many days this

month with temperatures around -10°c at night and 0°c mid day. But soon the first above degrees at night

are likely to show up, and with these snow amounts and this huge snow piles outside, there will likely be

a huge mess with water and slush the coming days. Maybe 5-6°c by the weekend, and not lower than 0°c

at night for a day or two, that is really a hint of spring! But the models are showing now new cold air to sweep

down next week with nighttemps of probably -10°c once again and cold days. Maybe some new snow

accumulations also!

But one thing is sure, the snow will be left far into April!

[Marduk]

This week has been somewhat spring like, and soon the Swedish criteria for spring will be fulfilled.

It says that the spring begins on the first day with 7 consecutive days with an average temperature above zero.

The same for the winter, which says that it begins on the first day with 7 consecutive days with an average temperature below zero.

The normal date for the beginning of the winter is December 10 and for the spring around March 20, and the last four days have been giving avg. temperatures above zero, yesterday with a spring like maxima of 8°c and low of 3°c with plenty of sunshine, making the snow to thaw rapidly.

Unfortunately we have some moderate wet snowfall today with temperatures of 1°c giving some small accumulations, and temperatures are forecast to drop to -10°c and giving mid day temperatures tomorrow not higher than a few degrees above zero, which probably will break this above-degree-temperature-streak. So the spring may come earliest at Tuesday March 23, if the avg. temperature keeps itself above zero for a week, as the forecasts say now, but things may change!

Here are some pre-spring like pictures from yesterday. By the beginning of March the snow depth was more than ½ metre in Stockholm, but now probably lower than 30 cm. And were the sun shines, there is nothing left. Enjoy!

Edited March 21, 2010 by Sillkalven

[Marduk]

The spring came to Stockholm after a long and very cold winter!

By the end of March, the temperatures averaged above zero all days, and still some snow cover left!

Now with April here, we have got our first 10-degree-day, it came the 2nd, and here are some spring-like pictures from that day!

Stockholm from the north-west.

Ice is breaking up in the archipelago!

A few days later I went down to the frozen waters of lake Mälaren to make some pictures. No snow left on the ground, but still thick ice left.

At least 1-2 weeks left to go with ice on the lake!

The last photo will be from the 5th, when we had some new snow falling down on the dirty one.

But now there are just spots left and some big, dirty, ugly and sandy snow piles!

The day only maxed at 2°, but the day after managed to 10° and sunshine.

[Marduk]

Long time no post!

As everyone probably has recognised, the weather in 2010 was quite cool over the whole continent,

and the end of the year was no exception! In Stockholm we once again set some weather records and near-weather records

during November and December!

November ended up at around -1°c, some 3° below the average, and the highest temperature was 10°c the first day of the month,

and as the time proceeded it became cooler with the first massive snowfall the 9th (but the first real snowfall occured as early as the

22nd of October, but having no big accumulations) which gave around 10 cm of snow, but the layer thawed slowly away a few days later,

and then the big chill came! The month ended up with minimas at -15°c or lower with daytime temperatures near -10°c and large

amounts of snow. This proceeded through the whole of the Christmas month with no sight of thaw at all.

December ended up at around -8°c, astonishing 6° below the average! But the most significant thing was the absence of above-degrees.

From November 23 to January 7 it was all days below or near 0°c! In the beginning of the year we had also a complete absence too of maximas

above zero from the end of December to the end of February.

And here are some recent photos of the cold!

November 26, the big winter chill had just begun with -7°c daytime.

December 10, mid day at the city airport of Bromma in Stockholm, bleak sunshine!

December 22, probably the coldest day for at least 100 years in Stockholm? The temperature was below -15°c the whole day and many places

in the near had -25°c to -30°c in the worst cold spots during the morning. I have never seen such low temperatures in the beginning of the season,

and I really doubt they will be beaten this winter season.

December 22, 14:00, -16°c.

[knocker]

Great photos. Thanks for posting.

[picog]

Great photos, soooo cold. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[Nick B]

Some beautiful photos. Two bone-chilling winters in a row... wow. I'm sure there may be a few Netweather folk who would be interested in a guided tour in your plane! Fantastic...