page_title: Geography of Jämtland
section_title: Climate
hierarchical_section_title: Geography of Jämtland / Climate
context_page_description: Jämtland is a large land-locked Swedish province in the heart of the Scandinavian peninsula in northern Europe. Jämtland covers an area of 34,009 square kilometres, 8.3 per cent of Sweden's total area and is the second largest province in Sweden.
  Jämtland stretches 315 kilometers in a north-south direction and 250 kilometers in an east-west direction and is equal in size to Ireland. Jämtland's western border is characterised by kölen which stretch throughout the province from north to south with branches into the region's southeastern parts. The massif is broken at some places by large valleys stretching to the Norwegian Sea. These valleys have been used for centuries as paths connecting Jämtland to the west. The valleys were particularly trafficked during pilgrimages to Nidaros, the 4th most visited pilgrimage site during the medieval period. No fewer than three pilgrim roads traversed Jämtland.
context_section_description: Jämtland has a temperate climate and belongs to the temperate zone's northernmost area. The climate in Jämtland is both humid continental and subarctic, depending on the location. The climate is greatly affected by the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, due to several mountain passes in Scandinavian mountain range.
  In western Jämtland mild winters with abundant precipitation are common. This is because of the warm winds brought to the area by the Gulf Stream. The average precipitation in the Jamtish Fells is roughly 1,000 millimetres per year, with Skäckerfjällen as extreme with about 1,500 mm. The precipitation rates in the middle of the province are more moderate. In fact the central and eastern parts of Jämtland have meager precipitation. In Storsjöbygden the annual averages is as low as 500 mm. Due to the warm winds the temperature during the winters reaches its maximum in the fell region at about -7-8 °C in Storlien and environs. The coldest winter temperatures, roughly -11°C, are found in the province's outskirts like Börtnan. Maximum temperatures in the summer months average from 14°C in Jämtland's eastern parts to around 11°C in the fell region. On some mountain peaks the averages are usually as low as 5°C.
  The highest (34.0°C) and lowest (-45.8°C) temperatures ever recorded in Jämtland were in its easternmost parts near Hammarstrand in 1947 and 1950.
  Blizzards are common in Jämtland, and especially in the fell region. The most notable blizzard is the one that arose on New Year's Eve 1718. The heaviest winds in Jämtland may gust to 55 metres/s.
caption: Summer scenery in Jämtland
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