Cold snap forecast for the weekend, drivers warned of dangerous roads

Cold, snow and strong winds are forecast for the weekend. Code orange warning over snow and stormy winds is still in force for the Southeastern Bulgarian districts of Bourgas and Sliven. Winter conditions failed to cause serious problems on the roads, but in some places in the mountainous regions the snow drifts are large and cause difficulties.

The biggest snowfall in the past day was in Lovech (Central Northern Bulgaria). Troyan Pass was overwhelmed by the snow and is still closed to traffic. No other roads are fully closed.

The region of Smolyan (South Bulgaria) also saw a lot of snow. The roads there are passable in winter conditions. Traffic restrictions for the Rozhen Pass were lifted, but lorries with trailers and semi-trailers are still not allowed through Prevalla and Pechinsko and along the Shipkovo-Ribaritsa road in both directions. The ban for the movement of vehicles weighing more than 12 tonnes on the Devin-Mihalkovo road has been cancelled.

The pass of the Republic was also overwhelmed by snow, but traffic is normal. Currently, it is snowing heavily in Malko Turnovo and Strandzha (South Bulgaria). At night, the skies will be clear, but slight snowfall is still expected. Temperatures will be low, with the maximum reaching just -3, so motorists are advised to equip the cars for driving in winter conditions and to not take any extra risks on the road.