SMHI has issued warnings for sudden black ice in northern Sweden after a cold night with temperatures down to 28 degrees below zero. Drivers are urged to be cautious as rain on cold roads can create hazardous conditions. In Skellefteå, the emergency room has been overwhelmed by injuries from slips and falls.
Early on the morning of Tuesday, December 2, 2025, thermometers showed 28 degrees below zero in Lappland, northernmost Nordnorge, and northern Finland. The cold air combined with clear weather caused these exceptionally low temperatures, colder than the normal December nights which usually range between 12 and 16 degrees below zero, according to meteorologist Lasse Rydqvist at Klart.
During the afternoon, temperatures rose and rain was expected, prompting SMHI's warning for sudden black ice in the evening. The warning covers the Norrland coast up to Luleå and Umeå, where rain on frozen road surfaces can create black ice that is hard to detect. 'It's a cold pool up there,' says Rydqvist. He urges drivers to adjust speed, keep distance, and take it easy in traffic, as it can be difficult to assess road conditions. The weather institute also warns of risks for delays or cancellations in public transport.
In Skellefteå, the black ice struck earlier than anticipated. Already on Monday morning, patients flooded the emergency room with injuries from falls, and the situation continued into Tuesday. 'We're plastering on a conveyor belt,' says operations manager Ferenc Sari. Normally, a few isolated patients arrive in the morning, but on Monday, slip injuries accounted for nearly half of the cases. Sari himself has slipped twice without injury. By 10 a.m. on Tuesday, six out of ten patients had slip-related injuries. The warning is in effect until 9 p.m. on Tuesday evening.