Historic cold spell hits Scandinavia, Sweden records its coldest December day in 35 years

A historic cold spell is affecting Scandinavia, bringing unusually cold temperatures for the time of year.

With
a temperature of -43.8 °C (-46.8 °F) registered in Naimakka in northern
Lapland on Monday, December 6, 2021, Sweden recorded its coldest
December day since December 1, 1986.¹

For Naimakka,
this is the coldest December temperature since 1944 when their records
keeping began. The settlement's all-time cold temperature record is
-48.9 °C (-56 °F) registered in 1999.

-43.8 °C is also the lowest temperature ever recorded in Sweden so early in the season since 1945.

The
neighboring station Karesuando recorded -41.9 °C (-43.4 °F) on December
6 before the temperature values ​​stopped coming in, according to
Sweden’s national weather agency SMHI.

For this station, it was
the coldest December temperature since 1915 when the temperatures
dropped to -42 °C (-43.6 °F). The only times when a temperature of at
least -40 °C (-40 °F) was measured in Karesuando in December are 1885,
1898, 1915, 1919, 1969, and 1986. 

In Nikkaluokta, the temperature dropped below -40 °C, with -40.5 °C (-40.9 °F) as the lowest on Monday morning.

Sweden's all-time cold temperature record is -52.6 °C (-62.7 °F) registered on February 2, 1966, in Vuoggatjålme, Lapland.

However,
it is debated whether it was correctly recorded, so Sweden usually uses
the runner-up, -48.9 °C (-56 °F) at Hemavaan on December 30, 1978.

In Nikkaluokta, the temperature dropped below -40 °C, with -40.5 °C (-40.9 °F) as the lowest on Monday morning.

Sweden's all-time cold temperature record is -52.6 °C (-62.7 °F) registered on February 2, 1966, in Vuoggatjålme, Lapland.

However,
it is debated whether it was correctly recorded, so Sweden usually uses
the runner-up, -48.9 °C (-56 °F) at Hemavaan on December 30, 1978.

Source: watchers.news