Don't pack away the winter coat just yet, according to Bloomberg.
Europe is beginning to enjoy a chilly spring with temperatures below normal for much of the continent. That helped ease pressure on the region's energy system after the second-warmest winter on record.
In the north in particular, spring will come in slower, so heating demand could drag a bit longer and be above normal, said Andrew Pedrini, meteorologist at forecaster Atmospheric G 2.
Even though the worst threats to supplies have faded, that could keep energy prices higher than normal. The European Union enters the season with gas stores at the fullest for the time of the year in more than a decade, although France sluggish nuclear output is still a concern for traders.
Scandinavia has seen heavy snowfall in the last few days, with Stockholm and Oslo covered by a thick layer. Warnings have been issued for more in the coming days.
The cold temperatures for this time of year are pushing up energy consumption above average, Swedish utility Bixia AB said in a report.
The frigid weather of the past week is a big change from the previous mild months. The winter of 2019 -- 2020 was warmer, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service. After Russia cut gas supplies to the region in the fallout of its war in Ukraine, that helped Europe avoid rolling blackouts that some governments warned about last year.
The energy squeeze might not be over yet, as the region seeks to replenish stockpiles without much support from Russia, its former top supplier. A cold start to the spring means that much of Europe isn't getting a head start.
According to the national weather forecaster SMHI, the mercury will fall as low as 13 C 8.6 F in Stockholm on Tuesday. The following week will see a chill in the Nordics.
Germany s national forecaster DWD expects to have colder than normal weather across the country in early April, with snow possible at times. Berlin will be 5.7 C below normal on Monday, while Rome is expected to be 5 C colder than usual on Tuesday, according to Maxar Technologies Inc.
The Met Office said that there is a chance of overnight frosts in the UK, but there is a chance of cooler conditions in the north and east, with a chance of overnight frosts in the second half of April.
Wind power output in much of the region is set to drop to a minimum next week, according to a Bloomberg model. It's possible that power prices could go up because of the reliance on traditional fuels for heating.
There is an increase in solar power generation in northern Europe, which could be a source of some relief. South-eastern Europe is going to see a drop in solar energy.
Europe is facing the risk of dry spells, following the region's worst drought in centuries last year and prolonged periods without rain over the winter.
Slightly below normal precipitation amounts are forecast across northern and central mainland Europe in April, which will give little relief to low hydro and river levels here, said Amy Hodgson, a meteorologist at Atmospheric G 2.