Sverigeleden (Karlstad – Lödöse): which way and when to ride
The best month for Sverigeleden (Karlstad – Lödöse) is September: 74% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September, riding Lödöse → Karlstad meant an average tailwind of 3.6 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% | 22% | 62 | 1 °C | 0% | 100% | 7.0 † |
| February | 1% | 18% | 47 | 1 °C | 0% | 99% | 9.2 † |
| March | 9% | 16% | 41 | 5 °C | 0% | 90% | 11.6 |
| April | 44% | 18% | 39 | 10 °C | 0% | 52% | 14.3 |
| May | 70% | 25% | 63 | 15 °C | 0% | 10% | 16.8 |
| June | 72% | 28% | 78 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 18.4 |
| July | 67% | 33% | 100 | 21 °C | 0% | 0% | 17.7 |
| August | 64% | 36% | 102 | 19 °C | 0% | 0% | 15.4 |
| September | 74% | 26% | 72 | 16 °C | 0% | 1% | 12.7 |
| October | 46% | 23% | 74 | 10 °C | 0% | 40% | 10.1 † |
| November | 8% | 21% | 60 | 5 °C | 0% | 88% | 7.6 † |
| December | 1% | 21% | 61 | 2 °C | 0% | 99% | 6.3 † |
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 Karlstad → Lödöse, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Karlstad → Lödöse | Headwind > 15 km/h, Lödöse → Karlstad | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −2.9 | 16% | 5% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| February | −2.5 | 13% | 4% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| March | −1.9 | 12% | 5% | either |
| April | −1.0 | 9% | 4% | either |
| May | −1.6 | 9% | 4% | either |
| June | −3.5 | 10% | 2% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| July | −3.9 | 10% | 2% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| August | −4.2 | 11% | 2% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| September | −3.6 | 14% | 3% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| October | −3.5 | 15% | 5% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| November | −2.8 | 15% | 6% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
| December | −4.0 | 18% | 3% | Lödöse → Karlstad |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–26 | W | −1.2 |
| 26–51 | SW | −2.6 |
| 51–76 | S | −3.7 |
| 76–102 | SW | −4.5 |
| 102–127 | SW | −3.8 |
| 127–152 | S | −4.3 |
| 152–177 | S | −3.2 |
| 177–202 | S | −4.5 |
| 202–228 | SW | −5.0 |
| 228–252 | S | −2.8 |
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.