försommar

Försommar is a Swedish term describing a transitional period between spring and summer. It is not a fixed meteorological season but an informal notion that generally spans from late April or May to early June, with exact dates depending on climate and locality. In southern Sweden försommar may arrive in late April or May, while in the north the period can begin later and extend into June.

During försommar, temperatures rise steadily, days lengthen, and diurnal temperature variation decreases. Days reach comfortable warmth with average daytime highs commonly in the high teens Celsius; nights can still be cool, and late frosts are possible in some years. Rainfall varies by year, with spells of sunny weather alternating with showers.

Ecologically, plants come into leaf, flowers bloom, and fruit trees blossom. Lilacs and other flowering shrubs perfume the air. Insects become more active, birds migrate, and agricultural activity such as mowing and sowing begins in earnest.

Culturally, the term is used in Swedish language and media to describe mood and weather during this transitional period. It contrasts with vår (spring) and sommar (summer) as a non-technical label for mild, mixed-weather conditions. It appears in poetry, travel writing, and forecasts as a way to convey a sense of gradual warming rather than a strict seasonal boundary.

Overall, försommar marks a time of increasing warmth and vitality, often associated with anticipation before the full onset of summer.