Sweden Weather in May 2025: Travel Tips for First-Timers

Sweden is frigid or cold and snowy throughout most of Sweden at the low elevations, and frigid, dark, and snowy in the north. February's highlights include auroras, winter sports, sledding, and skiing. Tourism is moderate in February.

Read on for our weather information and travel advice including average temperatures and rain/snowfall, places to go, and travel tips…

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• 1. Weather Overview
• 2. Best Places to Visit
• 3. Crowds and Costs
• 4. What to Wear

Sweden Weather in February: Overview

Averages: 

• Temperature range: -6–0°C (21–32°F)
• Total rain/snow: 4 cm (1 inch)
• Days with rain/snow: 8
• Humidity: 80% 
• Sunshine hours/day: 2 hours

February Climate Comparison (Averages) for Sweden's Top Tourism Areas

In February, Sweden generally freezes except along the coast. The rainfall/snowfall ranges from semi-arid to moderate.

Southern Sweden: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Gotland Island and the southern coast are at 59° degrees latitude and southward. The far south gets about 9 or more hours of daylight on average, which enables daytime excursions and sightseeing.

There is an average of 2 hours of sunlight. At low elevations, the average temperature range is -2–2°C (28–36°F). The average humidity is high at about 80%.

Northern Sweden: The arctic tourist towns such as Kiruna are north of latitude 66°. Kiruna is at latitude 68° and gets about 8 hours of daylight on average daily. It is much colder in the north with temperatures continuously below freezing, so the snow is preserved and accumulates in the frigid winter.

The Best Places to Visit in Sweden in February

Sweden's February highlights are vast forested snowscapes, auroras, ski resorts, winter sports, urban touring and long indigo, orange, and pinkish twilights. It might feel gloomy in the north, but you can do countryside and wilderness excursions as the weather permits. The places recommended below offer these highlights.

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1. Stockholm — Visit the Urban Highlights and Do Winter Sports

Stockholm is the capital and biggest city and has an average daily high of 1°C (34°F) in February. Stockholm is dry and cold or freezing. On average, there are more than 9 hours of daylight and 2 hours of sunshine daily. You could tour the city and do winter sports.

Conditions are suitable for skiing. Though there is very low snowfall of about 3 cm (1 inch) that falls about 6 days on average in February, the snow accumulates. The average low is -3°C (27°F). Within a 30-minute drive are several family-friendly ski resorts such as Ekholmsnäsbacken.

The 80% average humidity creates much frost. It is low season, and a highlight are lower prices and fewer crowds at highlights such as the Old Town and the Vasa Museum that features a complete ship from the 1600s. You could see the auroras on clear nights outside the city.

2. Åre and Duved — Enjoy Skiing and the Ski Resorts

The Åre and Duved region is the best ski resort area in Sweden. By passenger train, a trip from Stockholm takes 6 or 7 hours. Åre has luxury resorts and hotels, and Duved is a ski resort town a few minutes away from Åre by train or road with more moderate prices.

February is the coldest month and also a peak month for the ski resorts, so expect high prices and crowds. Most of the tourists will be Swedes and Scandinavian skiers. Snowfall is low to moderate, and it snows more than half the days of February.

In Duved, the average high is -2°C (28°F). The low is -9°C (16°F). There is an average of 8½ hours of daylight.

3. Uppsala — Enjoy Nature, Historic Places, and Auroras

You could go on an excursion from Stockholm to Uppsala, which is only about 70 kilometers (43 miles) away. It was a burial place of Vikings and a capital for kings and has burial mounds and old architecture such as a castle. Uppsala is Sweden's fourth largest city.

Though it is freezing, you could visit Uppsala's huge greenhouse. There is a rainforest inside, which would be an otherworldly escape from the cold weather. The average daily highs are 2°C (36°F) and the lows average -6°C (21°F). Total rain and snow is low, and there are 2 hours of sunshine daily on average. 

You might enjoy simply doing a walking tour starting from the old center region. You could start at Uppsala Central Station and walk along cobbled streets, check out some coffee shops and walk along the canal. You can walk to the university and the castle from there in quietness as it is low tourist season for Uppsala.

4. Kiruna — Enjoy Lapland Activities and Experiences, the Auroras, Sledding, and Winters Sports

The Arctic Circle is the best place to see the auroras and experience the indigo/violet/pink skies. Kiruna is Sweden's northernmost large town with a population of 25,000, and along with longer nights for seeing auroras, there are very good ski slopes around it.

Kiruna has an average of 8 hours of daylight daily in February. For darker skies, you could arrive early in February when the daylight is only 6 hours long, or go further north to Tromsø (see Norway in February). Kiruna has a ski slope in town for some easy skiing.

Riksgränsen in the Kiruna region is famed for deep snow and for many ski slopes, good facilities, and entertainment. In Kiruna, the average high is -7°C (-19°F), and the nightly lows are around -16°C (3°F). The total snowfall in Kiruna is very low, actually semi-arid, in February.

Moderate Tourism Season: Touring Advice for February

Sweden's cities and towns in southern Sweden generally have low tourism in February. This means you can enjoy some lower prices, more relaxation, and more solitude as you walk around the old town areas and parks such as in Uppsala.

It is peak season for the ski resort areas. The Swedes like to take trips to the ski resorts in the central and northern regions in February. February is a good month for skiing because the snow is deep before the thaw starts in places in March.

If you go to the central and northern regions, you might also see auroras.

There are no public holidays in February.

What to Wear in February

In February in southern Sweden, there is both snow and rain, but amounts are small. There is low rainfall/snowfall on an average of 9 days in February even in Gothenburg, the wettest popular low-altitude location.

Most of the tourist highlights and the mountains have unpredictable weather. You could be the most comfortable by dressing in layers and wearing a waterproof coat or bringing raingear wherever you go in Sweden.

Here is a packing list for a few essentials in Sweden:

• Warm waterproof boots with good traction for the outdoors (you might wear them in-flight to travel lightly)
• Comfortable shoes to change into for indoors so that your feet are not too hot
• Rain gear, especially if you are along the southern coast
• Warm hat, gloves, and scarf
• Swimwear for hot springs and spas
• Cardigans or thermals
• Polarized glasses