Add organization

What is the climate of Sweden?

Climate zones, normals and how the climate has changed, according to SMHI.

Answered at: Checked at:

Short answer

Most of Sweden has a cold temperate climate with proper snowy winters, while Götaland and the southernmost part of Svealand are in the warm temperate zone. SMHI bases this on the 1991–2020 normal period, and tundra climate with only small plants occurs locally in the mountains.

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. According to SMHI, the warm temperate zone has deciduous forest as its natural dominant vegetation type and covers Götaland and the southernmost part of Svealand.
  2. SMHI describes most of the rest of the country as cold temperate with proper snowy winters, and mentions tundra climate with only small plants locally in the mountains.
  3. SMHI says most low-pressure systems move in over Sweden from the west or south-west, and that annual precipitation is generally 500–800 mm.

Details

In southern Sweden the annual mean temperature was 6–8 °C in 1961–1990 and 7–9 °C in 1991–2020, according to SMHI. SMHI also ranks 2025 as the second warmest year observed for the country as a whole, after 2020.

Tip

For figures on a specific place, use SMHI's normal values for 1991–2020, which are published per station as Excel files.

What may differ

The climate zone depends on where you are: the south of Götaland is warm temperate, most of the country cold temperate and parts of the mountains tundra.

People also ask

  • What is the climate in Sweden?
  • What type of climate does Sweden have?
  • What climate zone is Sweden in?

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.

    Checked at:

  • 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.

    Checked at:

  • 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.

    Checked at:

  • 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.

    Checked at:
Help