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Where to go in May / Sweden in May / Central Norrland / May

Sweden · Beach

Central Norrland
in May.

Illustration of Forested hills and sheltered Baltic inlets on Sweden’s High Coast
Forested inlets on Sweden's High CoastDestination view, not month-specific.

Is May a good time?

Temperature unit

Cool days.
Similar overnight stays to April.

May averages 58°F afternoons and 42°F seas, with about 7 rain days. Later May is typically warmer.

Afternoons
58°F
Sea
42°F
Visitor demand
29%of July peak

Historical Mellersta Norrland regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Åre and High Coast; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

5.5/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#4 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather3.5/10Fair
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your May

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 58°F (14°C): a sweater and a light jacket; nights around 39°F (4°C): a warm coat. About 18 hours of daylight. About 7 rain days in a typical May.

Can I swim in May?

The sea averages 42°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 18 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 03:57Sunset 21:5439°F58°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 03:57 and sets about 21:54 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 39°F (4°C); afternoons reach about 58°F (14°C). Expect rain on about 7 days in a typical May.

Typical afternoon
58°F (14°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Mays
Night low
39°F (4°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
42°F (6°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
17h 57m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late May?

Late May is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 50°F on the 1st, versus 63°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency rises from 22% to 27% between those dates.

Early May 1 May

50°F

Typical afternoon high

22% historical wet-day frequency

Mid May 15 May

58°F

Typical afternoon high

25% historical wet-day frequency

Late May 31 May

63°F

Typical afternoon high

27% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Public holidays · 2027: 1 May Labour Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 16 May Whit Sunday.

Daily calendar & holiday datesMay 2027 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

May 2027 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2027.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
150°251°
351°451°552°653°753°854°954°
1055°1155°1256°1357°1457°1558°1658°
1759°1860°1960°2060°2160°2261°2361°
2462°2562°2662°2762°2862°2962°3062°
3163°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

Afternoons warm from about 52°F (11°C) in the first week to 62°F (17°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 22–28%.

School-holiday dates for May 2027 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open. Public holidays: 1 May Labour Day; 6 May Ascension Day; 16 May Whit Sunday. Elsewhere in May 2027, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: Germany 13%, Greece 29%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. May averages 29% of July's overnight stays per day. Similar overnight stays to April.

Overnight stays across Mellersta Norrland do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Hotel price season

Will it be cheaper?

Well above usual. Historical regional hotel revenue (2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index): €44 per guest-night. A seasonal estimate, not a booking quote.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Historical hotel average
€44
2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index; hotel revenue per guest-night; not a current booking quote. +11% vs this region's usual month.
Sweden as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 117 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

The historical regional amount comes from Tillväxtverket, Inkvarteringsstatistik 2025, table 1.1: accommodation revenue per guest-night (yearly, moved by the national hotel price swing); the country price level is national. Hotel averages are not live booking quotes.

Year-to-year variation

How much does May vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 53°F (12°C) and 66°F (19°C); in 9 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 58°F (14°C). Rain days ranged from 1 to 16; half the years had 5–10.

Rain days in each May

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 11 rain days1120112012: 10 rain days102013: 7 rain days72014: 10 rain days102015: 16 rain days162016: 7 rain days72017: 5 rain days52018: 3 rain days32019: 13 rain days132020: 6 rain days62021: 6 rain days62022: 8 rain days82023: 4 rain days42024: 1 rain days12025: 10 rain days102025
Rain days
7
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 12 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
5 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no May in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
6 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded MayHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201156°F11
201255°F10
201361°F7
201456°F10
201553°F16
201659°F7
201756°F5
201866°F3
201954°F13
202054°F6
202155°F6
202258°F8
202359°F4
202465°F1
202555°F10

Checked against 35 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

April, May
or June?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs July peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsAprMayJun
Afternoons47°F58°F66°F
Sea36°F42°F52°F
Rain days579
Overnight demand32%29%47%

April: Cooler afternoons, cooler sea and fewer rain days than May. More overnight demand. April guide →

June: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and more rain days than May. More overnight demand. June guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with May Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. May stays as your reference.

June to August have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than May, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

May or April?

Overnight stays are 32% of the busiest month.

Historical regional hotel revenue (2025 annual level, adjusted by the 2024–2025 national hotel index): €38 per guest-night. A seasonal estimate, not a booking quote.

Read the April guide →
May compared with another month
Typical conditionsMayApril
Afternoons58°F47°F
Nights39°F29°F
Sea42°F36°F
Rain days75
Visitor seasonLow seasonLow season
Overall / 105.53.6
Month rank#4#6
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.0#727°F17°F36°F111.0Low season
February3.0#830°F18°F34°F71.0Moderate season
March3.0#938°F23°F34°F61.0Moderate season
April3.6#647°F29°F36°F51.6Low season
May5.5#458°F39°F42°F73.5Low season
June6.3#166°F48°F52°F95.4Moderate season
July5.6#370°F52°F60°F106.4Peak season
August6.1#267°F50°F61°F115.5Moderate season
September5.0#558°F44°F56°F103.0Low season
October3.0#1046°F35°F49°F101.0Low season
November3.0#1136°F27°F43°F91.0Low season
December3.0#1230°F21°F39°F121.0Low season

Near here

Nearby places in May

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better May weather than Central Norrland

Central Norrland's weather ranks 73 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Sweden have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Central Norrland.

All of Sweden in May · Everywhere in May

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

It's low season, 29% of the busiest month and 30% below its average month. That means about 6,000 overnight visitors on a typical May night across the region, 81% of them from Sweden itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 620 more: 10 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)52
How our weather was checked35 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.3°C), night lows within 1°F (0.5°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day16
Busiest month hereJuly · 55
Visitors as share of people present1.6%
Rank among Europe's regions this month58th percentile
Domestic share of nights81%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights10
Visitor share if every platform night were extra1.7%
Population used374,000
Statistical regionSE32 · Mellersta Norrland

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (Tillväxtverket, Inkvarteringsstatistik 2025, table 1.1: accommodation revenue per guest-night (yearly, moved by the national hotel price swing)). Full method · this region's data.