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How cold does it get in Sweden?

January averages, the Swedish cold record and recent winter lows.

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Short answer

In January the average temperature is 1–2 degrees above zero on many southern coasts, but the coldest valleys in inner Lappland average minus 15 degrees, according to SMHI. There it sometimes falls below minus 40, and the lowest reading at an official Swedish weather station is minus 52.6 °C.

Seasons and weather in Sweden Illustration of a season wheel with snow, a birch leaf, sun and rain around a red Swedish cottage

Why

  1. SMHI gives the January average for 1991–2020 as 1–2 degrees above zero along many Götaland coasts and minus 15 degrees in the coldest valleys of inner Lappland.
  2. According to SMHI, the lowest temperature measured at an official Swedish weather station is minus 52.6 °C, at Vuoggatjålme in the Lappland mountains on 2 February 1966.
  3. SMHI describes the start of February 1966 as the coldest weather situation known in Sweden.

Details

SMHI's station table gives the lowest temperature since 1901 as minus 43.3 °C at Kiruna airport and minus 41.0 °C at Luleå airport, both in 1999, and minus 28.2 °C in Stockholm in 1942. The lowest temperature of 2025 was minus 36.2 °C at Kvikkjokk-Årrenjarka on 6 January, according to SMHI.

Tip

Check the SMHI forecast for the exact place before a winter trip, because average January temperatures differ by more than 15 degrees between the southern coasts and inner Lappland.

What may differ

Winter cold depends on the region: the southern coasts stay above zero on average in January, while inner Lappland and the cold valleys of the north are far colder.

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Sources

Information checked on 27 October 2026.

Seasons and weather in Sweden

  • What should I wear in Gothenburg?

    What to wear in Gothenburg depends on the month, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 1 °C in January and about 18 °C in July.

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  • What should I wear in Sweden in March?

    In March, wear a warm jacket and scarf, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 2 °C in Stockholm and about 3 °C in Gothenburg.

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  • What should I wear in Sweden in November?

    In November, wear a warm coat and scarf, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 4 °C in Stockholm and about 5 °C in Gothenburg.

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  • Is it always dark in Sweden in winter (polar night)?

    No, in Stockholm the sun is up from 8:47 am to 2:55 pm in January, and polar night, with no sunrise at all, only occurs in the far north.

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