Not sure why it felt as if it took "a long time" for spring time to emerge. I suspect, it has something to do with the combination of very low sunshine hours this winter into spring, together with a couple of cold periods (beginning of April, and middle-end of April 2024).

Only 3.7 hours Ø daily sunshine in April 2024

The average daily sunshine ours for April 2024 ended up around 3.7 hours, while April 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 had between 8-9 hours of Ø daily sunshine. A quite large difference, when you think about it.

Note:

The sunshine hours for April 2024 in Stockholm, where fewer than March 2024 !

Also, when i summarize ALL sunshine hours from 1. Jan to 1 May, the period in 2024 shows considerably fewer sunshine hours this year (i compare with 1983, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023). 1983 and 1984 are poor sunshine years (1400 hours) compared to the latter years often exceeding 2000 hours annually.

Let's me again, show the illustration of what I just wrote, making it easier to compare. As you see, April did indeed show very poor sunshine hours in 2024 compared to the other years. Also February 2024 was on the poor side this time. While March 2024 was slightly below normal. Altogether for 2024 up until now... well, on the poor side. Lots of clouds is what I remember.

This also lead to that despite being in the solar Maximum, I can't remember having seen any aurora over Stockholm... It has been too often overcast, when the big displays came along.

Psychological factor: When is spring coming ??

Then there is a psychological factor (i assume), where one (we?) get impatient. A long winter time that seemingly didn't come to its end, and you wait eagerly for milder temperatures, more sunshine, and patches of green. So, there is the expectation factor that comes into play. It is almost every time in spring the same... Similar to waiting for summer. Even here are expectations / anticipation coming into play, coloring my mind.

It might be better not to anticipate so much ?

Now in Stockholm

For the time being, it has become spring time, with temperatures up to 15-17°C in Stockholm, while in other places in Southwest Sweden up to 20-24°C. We still had frost, i saw two mornings ago in the outskirts of Stockholm. Yesterday morning Tullinge had i believe -1°C which is actually pretty common at that station - as it is almost entirely unaffected by the warm city bubble, often showing much lower MIN temperatures, compared to Stockholm City.

Stockholm vs Tullinge MIN temperatures

Stockholm City represents "climate change fairytale" - because it is mainly the place there you find, that the nights are considerably warmer than the rest of Stockholm (and outer suburbs). The annual average MIN temperature in Stockholm City is 3.8°C MAX higher compared to Tullinge station 7 km to the southwest. Seasonally, the city shows quite often a 10°C warmer minimum temperature compared to Tullinge. Now, when comparing MAX temperatures between those stations, the difference isn't much at all. Around 0.3 to 0.5°C warmer in the city.

So, there is that.

What to expect ?

Yeah. Speaking about "anticipation" - and here I go write about what weather is to be expected in the next days *LOL* A couple of warm days, up to 20°C, but from Sunday onwards, cooler weather with 9-11°C Max temperatures only, but there is a chance that they will rise a bit more later on. Also; there is risk of frost in the suburbs most likely. And more clouds.

Well, we live in Scandinavia. It means (often) changeable weather at any time of the year.

Nevertheless, the longer days make partially up for when the clouds obscure the sun. And it simply isn't as cold as the weather we had in the last weeks in April 2024. We are - after all - in the brighter period of the year - and that feels good.