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When is the best time to visit Sweden?

The best time to visit Sweden is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

Sweden has a real winter and a real summer. Snow is part of the cold months, not a freak event. The outdoor year is short in the middle and long at the ends of summer. The pin on this page is a country centroid. Stockholm will not feel like the same week, and a city page is the honest place to read the year if you already know where you are going.

Most visitors come once the freeze has lifted, or they come on purpose for the cold. Do not book Sweden as a sunlounger destination. The monthly table owns the averages. This layer is the year those numbers sit inside.

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Spring

Spring in Sweden is the thaw. March, April and May move from leftover winter to usable outdoor days. Snow retreats. Mud and bright afternoons can share a week.

In Sweden the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Come for cities and the first terraces, not for guaranteed picnic weather. A squall in Sweden in these months is ordinary, not a ruined trip.

Read Sweden in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Summer

Summer is the outdoor season in Sweden: June, July and August. Days are long. Heat is relative to the winter you came from, not to a Mediterranean coast. This is walking, terrace and lake weather, not a sunlounger climate.

In Sweden the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Evenings can still want a layer, especially away from the built-up centre. Rain does not disappear just because it is summer. Pack for a useful day that can turn wet.

Autumn

Autumn in Sweden is short and useful: September, October and November. The first weeks are still outdoor days. The last weeks are a coat, wet leaves, and the knowledge that winter is coming.

In Sweden the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Come for cities and landscape, not for a last swim. Light is good. Afternoons end early. A shell in the bag is not optional.

Read Sweden in this stretch as its own climate, not as a generic holiday season copied from another destination.

Winter

Winter in Sweden is the real thing: December, January and February. Cold, short days, and snow that is part of the season rather than a postcard accident. This is a city-and-indoor trip unless you came for the cold on purpose.

In Sweden the meteorological summer is June, July and August and winter is December, January and February. Do not book Sweden as a mild winter-sun destination. Coat, boots, early dark. The monthly table will look grim because the months are grim in the honest way.

Sweden weather by month

TemperatureRainfall

Source: MeteostatPeriod: 1991-2020Checked: 2 Sept 2026358 places covered

Average temperature and rainfall, month by month

Every figure below is a 1991–2020 climate normal for Sweden, in °C and °F. Open a month for what to expect and what to pack.

Sweden weather by month: average temperature, rainfall, sunshine for each month, from 1991–2020 climate normals
MonthAverageRainfall
January-1°C / 30°F37 mm
February-1°C / 30°F29 mm
March2°C / 35°F27 mm
April7°C / 44°F29 mm
May12°C / 53°F34 mm
June16°C / 61°F61 mm
July19°C / 67°F60 mm
August18°C / 65°F66 mm
September13°C / 56°F53 mm
October8°C / 46°F51 mm
November4°C / 38°F47 mm
December1°C / 33°F47 mm

Weather in Sweden cities

Travel guides for Sweden

What to read before you book.

All travel guides in Sweden

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FAQs about Sweden weather

Climate averages for Sweden, 1991–2020.

The best time to visit Sweden is between May and October, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

July is the hottest month, with an average around 19°C.

August is the wettest month, with about 66 mm of rain.

January is the coolest month, averaging -1°C (30°F) against 19°C (67°F) in July.

This page does not show today's weather. It is a 1991–2020 climate normal from Meteostat — a long-run average of what each month is usually like, which is what you want when booking ahead. For today or the coming week, check a live forecast.

No. These are 1991–2020 climate normals from Meteostat, not a live forecast. Actual weather in any given week can differ.