Sverigeleden (16): which way and when to ride
The best month for Sverigeleden (16) is September: 72% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Karlstad → near Borlänge meant an average tailwind of 3.0 km/h (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | 20% | 55 | -2 °C | 0% | 100% | 6.7 † |
| February | 0% | 16% | 40 | 0 °C | 0% | 100% | 9.0 † |
| March | 9% | 14% | 37 | 4 °C | 0% | 91% | 11.6 |
| April | 40% | 19% | 39 | 10 °C | 0% | 57% | 14.5 |
| May | 66% | 27% | 69 | 15 °C | 0% | 15% | 17.1 |
| June | 70% | 30% | 82 | 19 °C | 0% | 1% | 18.8 |
| July | 63% | 36% | 107 | 21 °C | 1% | 0% | 18.1 |
| August | 63% | 37% | 108 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.6 |
| September | 72% | 24% | 66 | 15 °C | 0% | 6% | 12.7 |
| October | 30% | 21% | 67 | 9 °C | 0% | 62% | 10.0 † |
| November | 3% | 22% | 56 | 3 °C | 0% | 95% | 7.4 † |
| December | 0% | 21% | 56 | 0 °C | 0% | 100% | 5.9 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind near Borlänge → Karlstad, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, near Borlänge → Karlstad | Headwind > 15 km/h, Karlstad → near Borlänge | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.1 | 10% | 3% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| February | −2.2 | 8% | 2% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| March | −1.9 | 9% | 3% | either |
| April | −1.1 | 7% | 4% | either |
| May | −1.6 | 7% | 4% | either |
| June | −2.8 | 7% | 3% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| July | −2.7 | 6% | 2% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| August | −3.2 | 7% | 2% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| September | −3.0 | 9% | 2% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| October | −2.8 | 10% | 4% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| November | −2.0 | 9% | 4% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
| December | −2.9 | 11% | 2% | Karlstad → near Borlänge |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–25 | SW | −3.3 |
| 25–50 | SW | −3.3 |
| 50–76 | W | −2.9 |
| 76–101 | W | −3.0 |
| 101–126 | SW | −3.2 |
| 126–152 | W | −1.7 |
| 152–177 | S | −3.2 |
| 177–203 | S | −3.3 |
| 203–231 | S | −3.2 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.