Today's weather for Stockholm, Sweden8th Nov 2009 19:50

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Weather Overview for Stockholm

Stockholm’s weather is often thought of as cold and dark. While it does indeed endure long cold winters, these can often be truly beautiful and the summer months actually  see fantastic weather. The climate is mild temperate maritime which means it experiences all four seasons but the temperature range is small with cold winters and mild summers.

Rain falls frequently throughout the year but Sweden is in fact one of Europe’s driest countries. Only Spain and Russia see less rainfall. This is due to the shelter the country receives from the mountains of western Norway.

Summer is a great time to visit Stockholm. The days are long and warm. July is the warmest month, with daily highs averaging 22ºC and lows averaging at 13ºC. Temperatures get into the high 20s on particularly sunny days, and the mercury can even rise into the 30s in mid-summer. The sea peaks in August which sees a water temperature of 16ºC.

July and August are, however, the wettest months of the year. While they have the most rain in terms of volume, the number of days it rains on average during the month is less than in winter. Showers are normally brief but heavy. 

Perhaps the best thing about summer in Stockholm is the amount of daylight. It only really gets dark for a couple of hours a night. In June there is an average of 9 hours of sunshine per day; the sky is very changeable with clouds sent scudding across the sky by sea winds.

Winter is a very different story and suffers from the very short days. The shortest day of the year is just 6 hours, compared with nearly 19 in midsummer. The lack of daylight can make things pretty dismal in winter especially in a period of grey weather. 

Lows below zero occur in the city from November until March; snowfall is also common during these months. In December, January and February it rarely climbs above freezing at any time of day.

Precipitation falls as snow from November till February and despite the gloom that can encompass Stockholm in winter, the city blanketed under a snow is a stunning sight, especially in the prolonged twilight. It can make it a magical time to visit for those that don’t mind braving the cold.
 

Spring and Autumn are times of great change in Stockholm as the dramatic shift between summer and winter happens. Early spring still sees frequent snowfalls, but by May warm sunny weather is common. Late spring is the driest time of year.

Autumn is indeed wetter but the very cold temperatures don’t arrive until November. At this time the first snow of the season falls – an exciting time for the many winter sports enthusiasts in the city.

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