Sweden hit by blizzard conditions

A weekend snowstorm would likely ensure a white Christmas for most of Sweden, forecasters said Saturday. The storm knocked out power to about 10,000 people in the Stockholm and Uppsala areas and caused traffic headaches in some areas. Forecasters at the Swedish meteorological Institute issued a Class 1 warning, saying up to a half-foot of snow and high winds would create blizzard conditions in northern Sweden, TheLocal.se reported. Rain was expected in the south, where temperatures were hovering just above freezing, the Swedish news website said. "The way it looks right now it seems like there will be mainly dry weather and minus degrees on Christmas Eve, with the exception of the coast in the far south and the Baltic island of Gotland," institute meteorologist Lisa Frost said. "I don't want to make any promises since there are so many days left. But I can say that prospects are good for a white Christmas in most part of the country."