Non-winter

A new season in a warmer climate?

Abstract

The Swedish winter is getting warmer and the snow season shorter. In the southern parts of the country a meteorological winter is no longer guaranteed every year. A new season has therefore been suggested: non-winter (ovinter). In this article we trace the use of the word ovinter in Swedish media 2008–2024 to explore non-winter as a cultural phenomenon. By understanding seasons as culturally constructed and using absence and presence as analytical tools, we investigate how non-winter is given meaning. In the analysed material, non-winter is shaped by meteorologists and journalists to describe a season following neither statistical and scientific definitions of winter, nor the calendric. Non-winter can be understood as a way to make sense about and bring order to the seasonal disruption brought by climate change. During non-winter, snow and coldness are absent. The absent winter leaves traces in the form of memories, unused objects, and feelings of loss. This loss can be described in terms of winter grief or snow sorrow. In the absence of winter, new presences emerge, such as greyness and darkness, as well as sunny and warm weather with unseasonal flowers and animals. Against the backdrop of climate change, the ovinter challenges seasonal activities and businesses. We argue that by scrutinizing non-winter, we draw attention to the new presences that a warmer future may hold. Furthermore, we get closer to understanding the cultural consequences of the absence of winter for people’s everyday lives in a warmer Sweden.