Sweden Faces Prolonged Record-Breaking Cold Spell Into Spring

Sweden is experiencing one of its coldest winters on record, with January 2026 registering notably lower temperatures across the country. Pajala saw its coldest January since records began in 1940, and Karesuando experienced its coldest since 1893. The extreme cold peaked with a temperature of -40.8°C recorded in Gielas, Lapland on January 4th. February started with what meteorologists call a "national ice day," when temperatures remained below zero across the entire country for a full 24-hour period—the first such occurrence in two years.

Meteorologist Per Egil Haga explained that this intense cold is linked to weather patterns similar to sudden stratospheric warming, a phenomenon that displaces Arctic cold air southward. According to Haga, these patterns are expected to persist until late March or early April, suggesting that the current winter conditions will continue well into the spring. Residents should prepare for extended cold and sub-zero temperatures for weeks ahead, marking an unusually long and severe winter period in Sweden.