section_path: Climate
section_name: Climate
paragraph_text: Climate
  
  Örebro, like the rest of the area close to Mälardalen, has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) that is made milder by the proximity to water and the Gulf Stream which makes it interchangeable with oceanic climates. Summer temperatures occasionally exceed 30 °C (86 °F) albeit not yearly, and temperatures above 5 °C (41 °F) are rare in winter, although frost-free nights sometimes occur. July average high temperatures generally range from 20 °C (68 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F) depending on weather patterns, with a 2002–2021 mean high of around 23.5 °C (74.3 °F). July lows averaged 12.3 °C (54.1 °F), sizeably cooler than seaside areas. January averaged 0.7 °C (33.3 °F) average highs in the same timeframe, with average lows of −5 °C (23 °F).
  
  During cold winters, Örebro receives plenty of snowfall. Örebro is far more prone than coastal areas to really harsh frosts with temperatures approaching or below −20 °C (−4 °F) happening almost every winter according to SMHI statistics. The station's setting in a rural location might skew temperatures somewhat compared to the urban area which is also at a slightly lower elevation and nearer Hjälmaren. Especially when considering overnight lows this could result in a small urban heat island effect in downtown.
  
  However, the climate is very variable from year to year. For example, December 2010 was record cold with a daily mean of −9 °C (16 °F), whilst December 2006 only a few years before had a mean of 4.3 °C (39.7 °F). The warmest month on record is 21.8 °C (71.2 °F) in July 2018 and the coldest on record is −12.8 °C (9.0 °F) in January 1987. Örebro is often without snow cover for large parts of the winter months when daytime temperatures hover just above freezing – an exceptional feature for an inland area north of the 59th latitude. The westerly Atlantic moderating influence is strong enough that far inland Örebro has milder winters than the near-coastal town Norrtälje, located slightly farther north on the Baltic Sea with a similar rural weather station.
  
  The highest ever recorded temperature was set on 7 August 1975 during an intense heatwave with 36 °C (97 °F), which is a very high temperature for such northerly latitudes. During the 21st century, the record heat is the all-time July record of 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) set in 2022. The lowest recorded temperature in recorded history was set in February 1966 with −30 °C (−22 °F). Several monthly records were set after 2010 according to official SMHI statistics, namely the record highs of February, March, May, July, October, November and December as well as the coldest December temperature and month on record, that was set in 2010. Humidity is high for most parts of the year, but adequately lower during summer months. In spite of this summer is generally the time that gets the most precipitation due to clashes between hot and cool continental air systems causing heavy thunderstorm rainfall. In 2015, a 13.1 °C (55.6 °F) reading was recorded around the winter solstice which was a very warm reading for an inland area in the low-sun season.
  
  Being unshielded by the South Swedish highlands rain shadow, moist westerly air results in higher precipitation than on Baltic Sea locations. Summer convection and the flat topography of downtown can result in flash floods of low areas. Resulting from that, Örebro has been deemed one of the most vulnerable areas in Sweden to flooding and saw several incidents in a record wet summer in 2023.