It's Snowing in the Mountains, Motorists Urged to Drive with Caution (photos)

The National Institute of Meteorology on October 2 issued warnings for heavy rainfall and a sudden cold spell, with snowfall expected mainly in the higher mountain areas. The first snow of the season fell on Vitosha mountain during the night, while snow is also reported at the Petrohan Pass and Belmeken, where it has already formed a cover.

The Minister of the Interior has convened a meeting to discuss measures for regulating road traffic under the new weather conditions.

• First snow on Vitosha

Photos by Ivan Yanev

Traffic police are urging drivers, especially those crossing Petrohan, to use winter tyres, as the risk of accidents is heightened. Motorists are also advised to be cautious due to dense fog and hidden patches of ice beneath the snow cover.

Anastasiya Stoycheva from the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology commented:
"The coldest and wettest conditions will be in Western and Central Bulgaria, with mountain regions experiencing a continued drop in temperatures. Minus 5 degrees will fall to minus 10, creating a winter-like situation in the mountains. Because of accumulating snow and remaining autumn leaves at lower altitudes, there will also be risks of falling trees and branches."

Meteorologists expect snow cover to form tomorrow in other regions too, particularly in the high valleys, the "northern arm" of the Balkan Mountains (foothills region north of the main Balkan range, where the mountains gradually transition into the rolling hills and plains of the Danubian Plain), and in parts of Western and Central Bulgaria, where it is likely to remain.

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