City in Sofia, Bulgaria
Sofia
Bulgaria's capital at the foot of Vitosha mountain, with regular winter snow and ski lifts on the mountain above.
Sofia snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Sofia pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Sofia?
When does it snow in Sofia?
In Sofia, snow falls on about 5 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 2 days | 2 days | <1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | 2 days | 2 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Sofia month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5 | 34% | −4 to 5 °C (25 to 41 °F) |
| February | 2 | 16% | −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F) |
| March | 2 | 15% | 1 to 12 °C (34 to 54 °F) |
| April | <1 | 5% | 5 to 17 °C (41 to 63 °F) |
| May | 0 | 0% | 10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 17 to 28 °C (63 to 82 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 16 to 29 °C (61 to 84 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 13 to 24 °C (55 to 75 °F) |
| October | <1 | 2% | 7 to 18 °C (45 to 64 °F) |
| November | 2 | 15% | 3 to 12 °C (37 to 54 °F) |
| December | 2 | 15% | −1 to 7 °C (30 to 45 °F) |
Snow in Sofia in December
In December, Sofia gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 15% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 7 °C (30 to 45 °F).
Snow in Sofia in January
In January, Sofia gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 34% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −4 to 5 °C (25 to 41 °F).
Snow in Sofia in February
In February, Sofia gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 16% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F).
Snow in Sofia in March
In March, Sofia gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 15% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 1 to 12 °C (34 to 54 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Sofia?
Of the last ten winters in Sofia, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 51% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2022/23, about 70% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 16 January 2016.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 100% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 151% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 116% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 127% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 148% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 120% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 30% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 65% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 81% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 62% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Sofia
Does Sofia have snow at Christmas?
Sofia had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 3 of those years.
Does Sofia have snow at New Year?
Sofia had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 1 of those years.
Does Sofia have snow in mid-February?
Sofia had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in 6 of those years.
Does Sofia have snow at Easter?
Sofia had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 1 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Sofia?
It snows on about 14 days a year in Sofia, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 5 days.
What is the snowiest month in Sofia?
January is the snowiest month in Sofia, bringing about 34% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Sofia?
Of the last ten winters in Sofia, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 51% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2022/23, about 70% below average.
How cold does Sofia get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Sofia, with average daily lows of −4 °C (25 °F) and highs of 5 °C (41 °F).
Snow forecasts near Sofia
Nearest ski resorts to Sofia
Sources: Sofia on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates