Storm Johannes sweeps into Sweden with strong winds and heavy snowfall, leading to canceled trains and ferries. Thousands of travelers are affected, especially those heading to mountain areas like Åre. Authorities warn against unnecessary travel.
Storm Johannes, a powerful Boxing Day storm, sweeps into Sweden from the Norwegian Sea via Norway on the night of Saturday, December 27, 2025. According to SMHI meteorologist Anna Belking, strong winds begin in the mountain range at midnight, reaching up to 27 meters per second with gusts potentially higher. Orange warnings are issued for large parts of Norrland, northern Dalarna, northeastern Svealand, and Gotland, while storm warnings apply to the southern Bothnian Sea and Åland Sea. The storm first hits Jämtland, Dalarna, and Västerbotten at 02:00, with heavy snowfall and risks of long queues on roads.
Trafikverket closes train traffic between Bräcke and Storlien from midnight, as well as the Gällivare–Riksgränsen stretch until Saturday noon. SJ cancels the Stockholm–Narvik night train and six departures to Duved, Åre, and Storlien, affecting up to 2,000 travelers. No replacement buses are provided due to the weather, according to SJ's Leila Fogelholm: 'We don't want to send anyone out on the roads with such weather warnings.' Travelers like Australians Olly and Bailey, heading to snowboard in Åre, are forced to fly via Oslo. Lovisa Karindotter, who runs a cleaning firm in Undersåker outside Åre, is stranded in Finspång and risks missing work: 'This is a catastrophe for my job.'
Ferry traffic is severely hit. Destination Gotland cancels departures between Nynäshamn and Visby on Saturday and Sunday, while Eckerölinjen stops all trips from Grisslehamn to Eckerö on Saturday. Passenger Jan Lundin misses his weekend on Gotland due to canceled bookings and overloaded customer service: 'It sucks big time.' Adam Jacobsson at Destination Gotland acknowledges: 'The load was high on the app and website, which affected performance.'
Trafikverket prepares with emergency personnel, tracked vehicles, and heavy wreckers in Åre. Power company Eon raises its readiness and urges customers to secure loose items, charge phones, and store extra water, according to regional manager Lena Berglund. Skistar warns of major impacts on lift and bus traffic in Vemdalen and Åre. SMHI, police, and Trafikverket jointly urge: avoid unnecessary traffic. In Norway, even stronger winds are expected, up to 44 m/s in gusts.
