Welcome to Sweden in the spring!

It is officially spring (vår) in Sweden! To be honesty though, it really doesn’t feel like it as it is currently snowing as I write this. ~sad face~

But after a long, cold, and wet winter, we are all ready for spring! And here is what you can expect from springtime in Sweden:

More rain.

I know this isn’t what you wanted to hear. But they do say April showers bring May flowers for a reason, right? So the benefits of the rain will soon been revealed. April is a characteristically wet month in Sweden, so don’t pack your raincoat away just yet.

More daylight.

Once the clocks move to summer time, be ready for some fast changes in daylight. The days quickly become noticeably lighter, with 5-15 more minutes of sunlight each day. This is so appreciated after the dark winters!

And because it is warmer and sunnier, expect to see more people outside longer. Park workouts, running, and picnics all become favorite past times for Swedes during these months. During your picnics, don’t forget to bring along a bottle of chilled champagne and to pack out all of your trash and recycling with you.

More colors.

From both flowers and clothing! Swedes wear a lot of black, but that all changes with the arrival of Easter and vår (spring). Swedes love to start breaking out pastel pinks and vibrant yellows, and are eager to dust off their sunglasses and bare some ankles for the first time in months.

The flowers also start popping up, adding some much needed color to the Swedish landscapes and city parks. My favorite is the påsk lily (Easter lily, or what we call daffodils), for their bright yellow and happy personalities.

Before you know it, springtime in Sweden will be over. It feels like the shortest season in Sweden to me personally because it is the season that is least clear (one day it is hailing and the next it is sunny. Can they really both be considered spring?!). So enjoy it while you can, because soon enough summer will be here!

• Spring runs from March/April to May.
• We had our spring forward time jump a few weeks back in Sweden to observed summer time (running from the end of March until the end of October). This means that the clock is set forward one hour in order to gain more daylight.
• Did you know that Sweden’s time change lags behind the US’s by about three weeks? During this time, we were 8 hours apart from my family in LA instead of our usual 9.
• Vår is the word for springtime in Swedish. Spring in Swedish relates to run/runs/running.

• It can be hard to get to bed on time during the summers when the sun sets at 23:00 in Southern Sweden and doesn’t set for weeks on end in the north. Take the time now to invest in some blackout curtains.
• Looking for some Springtime activities in Stockholm? Read here.
• Now is a great time to start hiking again! If you are located in Southern Sweden, check out the Skåneleden.
• Considering buying a special picnic blanket with a nylon and water-resistant underside. Perfect for sitting on grass that is still slightly wet and easy to clean after. This site has lots of Swedish designs (dala horses, Swedish flags, fika, etc.)! Now you are ready for spring!

• Seasons and climate
• When will Spring arrive in Sweden?
• Seasons in Sweden