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How cold does it get in Stockholm in winter?

Winter means and the coldest temperatures on record.

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Short answer

Stockholm winters are cold, with 1991–2020 mean temperatures just below freezing in January and February, according to SMHI. The normal is -0.9 °C in January, -1.0 °C in February and 0.6 °C in December. The lowest temperature recorded since 1901 is -28.2 °C, in January 1942.

Stockholm Illustration of a season wheel with snow, a birch leaf, sun and rain around a red Swedish cottage

Why

  1. According to SMHI, the 1991–2020 normal in Stockholm is -0.9 °C in January and -1.0 °C in February.
  2. SMHI's records since 1901 show a lowest January mean of -11.2 °C (1987) and a highest of 4.1 °C (2020), so single winters differ widely.
  3. SMHI's records since 1901 list lowest temperatures of -28.2 °C in January (1942), -25.5 °C in February (1966) and -21.0 °C in December (1915).

Details

February 2026 averaged -4.2 °C in Stockholm, 3.2 degrees below the normal, which shows that a cold winter can be much colder than the averages suggest. Normal sunshine is only 33 hours in December, so winter days are short and dark.

Tip

Visit Stockholm suggests a warm coat or jacket, a wool cap and warm mittens, with sturdy shoes rather than sneakers for snow and slush.

What may differ

Winters are colder in Uppsala (January -2.0 °C) and far colder in Kiruna (-11.3 °C), and milder in Gothenburg (0.8 °C), according to SMHI normals.

People also ask

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Sources

Information checked on 27 October 2026.

Stockholm

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    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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