Kiruna weather in October

In October, Kiruna sees average daytime highs of 2°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 48 mm of precipitation across 9.7 wet days and about 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 6°C in the first days to -1°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of October to 6 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Kiruna's 4th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kiruna's year-round climate.

Daytime high
6th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
7th coldest
Precipitation
48 mm
9.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
7:01 AM – 3:47 PM
Cloud cover
73%
4th clearest
Wind
10 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
0.65 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Kiruna is urban area in Kiruna Municipality, Sweden.

Air quality
Excellent
PM2.5 3 µg/m³ · 2019
Founded
1900

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 6°C in the first days to -1°C by the end.

A typical October day in Kiruna reaches about 2°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -3°C and 7°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 7°C cooler than September and about 6°C warmer than November.

-20°-10°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
161
260
360
450
550
650
750
85-1
94-1
104-1
114-1
123-2
133-2
143-2
153-3
162-3
172-3
182-4
191-4
201-4
211-4
221-5
230-5
240-5
250-5
260-5
270-6
28-1-6
29-1-6
30-1-6
31-1-6

How October really feels in Kiruna

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
5 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Kiruna weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-9° / -15°317.89.72.10.0
Feb-8° / -15°267.48.970.0
Mar-3° / -11°2478.9110.0
Apr / -6°286.97.115.10.0
May / 559.95.119.61.3
Jun14° / 80130.323.93.5
Jul17° / 11115022.14.7
Aug15° / 8013.60174.0
Sep10° / 6410.81.512.81.9
Oct / -3°489.76.88.70.0
Nov-4° / -9°399.3104.20.0
Dec-6° / -13°369.410.60.10.0

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 17% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 70%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12872
22872
32872
42971
52971
62971
72971
82971
92971
103070
113268
123268
133268
143268
153268
163268
173268
183268
193268
203169
213070
223070
233070
242971
252971
262971
272971
282773
292773
302773
312773

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Kiruna gets around 48 mm of rain and snow over 9.7 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 31% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days, and about 7 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13414
23415
33415
43415
53316
63316
73316
83216
93217
103117
113117
123018
133018
142918
152919
162820
172820
182821
192822
202923
212924
222925
233026
243127
253228
263229
273330
283430
293531
303532
313532

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in October

Winds average 10 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 10 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
110calm
210calm
310calm
410calm
510calm
610calm
710calm
810calm
910calm
1010calm
1110calm
1210calm
1310calm
1410calm
1510calm
1610calm
1710calm
1810calm
1910calm
2010calm
2110calm
2210calm
2310calm
2410calm
2510calm
2610calm
2710calm
2810calm
2910calm
3010calm
3110calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of October to 6 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 246 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:05 AM to 8:03 AM, and sunset from 4:51 PM to 2:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:054:51
210.66:084:47
310.56:124:43
410.46:164:38
510.26:204:34
610.16:234:30
710.06:274:26
89.86:314:21
99.76:344:17
109.66:384:13
119.46:424:08
129.36:464:04
139.26:504:00
149.06:543:56
158.96:573:51
168.87:013:47
178.67:053:43
188.57:093:38
198.47:133:34
208.27:173:30
218.17:213:26
227.97:253:21
237.87:293:17
247.77:333:13
257.57:373:08
267.47:413:04
277.27:463:00
287.17:502:56
297.07:542:51
306.87:582:47
316.78:032:43

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 0.65 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0 kWh/m² to a high of 4.96 kWh/m² in May across the year — October's 0.65 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.1Dim
21.1Dim
31.0Dim
41.0Dim
51.0Dim
60.9Dim
70.9Dim
80.9Dim
90.8Dim
100.8Dim
110.8Dim
120.8Dim
130.7Dim
140.7Dim
150.7Dim
160.7Dim
170.6Dim
180.6Dim
190.6Dim
200.6Dim
210.5Dim
220.5Dim
230.5Dim
240.5Dim
250.4Dim
260.4Dim
270.4Dim
280.4Dim
290.3Dim
300.3Dim
310.3Dim
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Kiruna

In seasonPeak

None of Kiruna's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Kiruna's rainy season runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Kiruna?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kiruna.

What to pack for Kiruna in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Kiruna sees daytime highs around 2°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in Kiruna in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kiruna peaks around July 14 at about 4 (moderate) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 4 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateLowJul 14UV 4Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb0Low
Mar1Low
Apr2Low
May3Moderate
Jun4Moderate
Jul4Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep1Low
Oct1Low
Nov0Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Kiruna?

Kiruna sits at 67.9°N, 20.2°E, 579 m above sea level, in Sweden. The nearest listed city is Harstad, 184 km away.

HarstadLeviTromsdalenTromsoBodenLofotenBodø

Topography around Kiruna

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kiruna.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kiruna has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 322 m around an average of 523 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 470 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,846 m.

The land around Kiruna is covered by trees (41%) within 3 km, trees (50%) and grassland (34%) within 16 km, and trees (40%) and grassland (37%) within 80 km.

3 km
322 m
16 km
470 m
80 km
1,846 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewaterwetlandmoss and lichen
October weather nearby: Harstad 184 km · Levi 192 km · Tromsdalen 205 km · Tromso 206 km · Boden 235 km · Lofoten 239 km · Bodø 256 km · Alta 265 km

Sweden travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 87% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$63,133
2025
Happiness
7.3 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very high
EF EPI 609
Religion
Church of Sweden 54%none or unspecified 37%other 9%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kiruna (67.8557°, 20.2251°, elevation 579 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).