Winter Warning!

In front of the Rival Hotel 

Well, our winter weather is continuing! We have had a major snow storm today with 3 decimeters of snow which has caused the city to come to a standstill. Many flights and trains have been cancelled or severely delayed due to the snow and strong winds. So, if you are traveling to Stockholm in the next couple of days, keep your eyes on the weather report and pack for cold weather. It is also a good idea to be careful while walking around Stockholm in the next few days due to snow falling from buildings! Just for fun you can check the webcam showing the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan to see what the weather is like...

Keeping the street in front of the hotel clear for our guests!

Winter Weather Warning!

Just a few weeks ago there was a bit of whining about the unusually warm winter we were having (no white Christmas, etc;). Well, that seems like a distant memory now as a high pressure system over the Kola Peninsula has caused the temperatures in Sweden to plummet... and it will stay that way for the week ahead. Temperatures in Stockholm are predicted to be around -10 to -15 Celsius. In addition, a large snow storm is predicted to hit Stockholm and the south-east coast of Sweden today, dropping up to 30cm snow in certain areas.
Visiting Stockholm this coming week? Make sure you pack accordingly and bundle up! It's also a good idea to give yourself a little extra travelling time... snow and extreme temperatures tend to cause havoc with our subways, buses and commuter trains. If you want more detailed weather information, visit SMHI or YR.no.
Pictures in this blog entry were taken by me last winter after a similar snow storm...

Spring in Stockholm

Photo: Jeppe Wikström, Stockholm Visitors Board

Temperatures in Stockholm over the past week or so have been between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius and most of the snow has melted away. This might sound cold to you, but for Stockholmers this means that Spring is here! One thing you should know about Swedes in general is that warmer weather and sunshine can make them a little nutty. Considering our loooong cold & dark winters, this is not so strange. Besides green buds on the trees and tulips on sale at all flower stores, one sure sign of Spring is that restaurants & cafés put out their outdoor furniture. It doesn't matter if it is only 8 degrees and you need to keep your winter jacket on... if the sun is shining, a Swede will be sitting outside with their face turned to the sun. Every year more and more restaurants have outdoor seating and during the summer it is almost hard to walk down the sidewalks in some parts of the city. According to Metro Newspaper, over 1,700 restaurants & cafés in Stockholm had outdoor seating in 2010 and they are expecting an increase this year.
Unless there is some freak late snow storm... here at the Rival Hotel we are planning on opening both of our outdoor seating areas (Bistro & Café) on April 15th. Heating lamps and blankets will keep you toasty while waiting for Summer to come to town!
I'll be back within the next couple of days to give some concrete tips on what to do here over the Easter holidays...

Weather Warning - The Big Thaw

This past month was the coldest December in over 100 years. After the freezing temperatures and lots of snow, winter has released her grip (a bit) on Stockholm. It has warmed up some! Over the next few days temperatures will waver between a few degrees over and under zero Celsius. What this means is that there will be some snow melt... snow & ice falling from roofs and messy sidewalks. The melted snow can refreeze during the nights and turn to ice, making streets and sidewalks slippery & treacherous. So be careful walking through the city! If you see sidewalks taped off with signs saying "Varning: Risk för ras" or "Varning: Ras" then you should avoid that area as it is a warning that snow & ice may fall from the roof unexpectedly.

Warning- Winter Weather!

A little warning to travellers coming to Stockholm this week and next. They are predicting cold, bordering on record-breaking, temperatures for the next couple of days. Tomorrow and Thursday may see temperatures down towards -20 degrees Celsius in some parts of Stockholm. It should ease up by the weekend when a new system brings in warmer weather (-5 or so) and snow. The 10 day prognosis shows continuing temperatures below zero... and meterologists are saying that we may have another vargvinter ("Wolf's Winter"- local term for chillier than normal winter) on our hands like we did last year. The good news is that the snow makes it light, cheery & beautiful! On the other hand, meterology isn't an exact science: so it is a good idea to keep an eye on weather websites before your trip and pack accordingly!

Two good websites for Stockholm weather: www.smhi.se and www.yr.no
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Weather- First Signs of Winter!

The season's first snowfall came this morning covering the city with the white stuff. Sadly, it will have probably melted away by this afternoon. But this is what you can expect from Stockholm weather the next couple of months. Snowfall and then melt... sometimes freezing rain. It is usually not until January that we can expect snow that sticks to the ground for longer periods of time, though winter can be unpredictable: last year we had lots of snow from the middle of December and onwards.

The lesson in this? Be prepared if you are coming to Stockholm this autumn or winter. Check various online weather sites for updated information. Two websites that I recommend are yr.no and smhi.se. I usually try and look at a few weather sites before heading somewhere for vacation as weather isn't an exact science. Be also aware that snow in Stockholm, more often than not, means delays in commuter traffic as well as traffic jams on the highways. If you are travelling by car... drive carefully!
The pictures are taken in Maria Square, in front of the Rival Hotel, this morning...