Snowy Christmas in Parts of the Country, Temperatures to Drop to Minus 10°C Before New Year

Meteorologists are warning travellers to exercise caution during holiday journeys over the Balkan Mountain passes at Christmas. Snow cover may form in the Western Balkan Mountains and at higher elevations. More substantial snowfall and colder conditions are also expected on New Year’s Eve.

Although December has been drier and warmer than the climatic norm, colder weather and snowfall are forecast around Christmas.

“The most concerning situation will be in the Western Balkan Mountains, where the Petrohan Pass is located. This is usually the area that causes the greatest concern for travellers,” said Anastasia Stoycheva, meteorologist at the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH).

In the days immediately preceding New Year, the weather is expected to clear. Daytime temperatures will rise, but night-time temperatures will drop to between minus 6 and minus 10 degrees Celsius.

“At least during the period from 29 December to 5 January, in the first week of the new year, we expect increased precipitation. This means we are heading towards a situation with considerable snowfall around New Year and during the first days of the year. In the mountains, this will lead to a new snow layer forming on top of an icy base, which, particularly at higher altitudes, creates a risk of avalanches,” Stoycheva added.

This Christmas is expected to be snowy only in higher-altitude areas, while rain will prevail across the rest of the country. According to meteorologists, the snowiest Christmas Day on record was 25 December 2001, when snow cover was observed even in Sandanski and Burgas, and snowdrifts in Sofia exceeded half a metre. Forecasters say similar scenes could be seen again towards the end of this year and the beginning of the next.