Sweden braces for snow as mercury plummets

Temperatures are set to drop across Sweden next week, with the Swedish Meteorlogical and Hydrological Institute (SMHI) predicting as much as 20 centimetres of snow in some parts of the country.
Already tonight [Friday] it will be getting colder. Temperatures will be below zero across almost the entire country,” said SMHI meteorologist Stina Kihlgren to the Expressen newspaper.

“It will be especially cold in the southern parts of the country, it may be as low as minus six,” she said, adding that the first snowfall should come in the early hours of Monday morning.

Those not affected by the snow can expect icy windows and slippery roads.

Monday night will see a low pressure system move towards the northeast over mid-Sweden, and some 20 centimetres of snow is predicted to hit Dalarna in central Sweden and southern Norrland.

The nights will be especially chilly over the weekend, however as the week continues and the low pressure system passes, SMHI predicts the temperatures will rise slightly again.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket) has prepared for the worst, with staff members ready for the potentially challenging weather changes.

“They will be prepared to monitor all weather stations. We cannot say that we were taken by surprise if it snows this weekend,” Lennart Helsing, spokesperson of the Trafikverket, told the paper.

Furthermore, Helsing points out that Swedes must be careful themselves while driving this weekend.

“One must be very observant as a motorist. You may think the roads are dry, until you come to a bridge, or a shady part, where there are ice patches. That's usually where accidents occur.”

The Local/og