Osogovo Mountains See Season’s First Heavy Snowfall as Cold Weather Sweeps Bulgaria

The Osogovo Mountains in Bulgaria have recorded the heaviest snowfall so far, with around 15 centimeters reported at an altitude of 1,600 meters, as seen in photos from the local ski area. Overnight into Tuesday morning, more precipitation of varying intensities is expected in the higher elevations of Western Bulgaria, where drivers are urged to take caution on routes such as the Northern Tangent, the Struma highway, roads leading to Trun and Kyustendil, Petrohan, the approach to Dragoman Pass, and the Hemus highway.

Patches of snow covered the Blagoevgrad village of Gorno Leshko, showing us that winter is already among us.

Last night, snowfall temporarily halted traffic in both directions on road II-81 through the Petrohan Pass to allow for snow removal and sanding, with drivers waiting under the supervision of the "Road Police," according to the Road Infrastructure Agency. Since October 16, heavy-duty trucks over 12 tons have been prohibited from using the pass due to winter weather concerns. This section, once a summer detour for heavy vehicles bound for Sofia amid road upgrades on the Mezdra - Botevgrad route, is now restricted for winter safety. Additionally, from November, vehicles over 3.5 tons will also be rerouted from road III-103 between Roman and Mezdra, with detours in place to accommodate the ongoing road modernization.

This week, Bulgaria's weather will remain cool and predominantly cloudy, with intermittent rain and occasional light snow expected in the western mountains and high valleys, including around Sofia. Rain is forecast for northern and eastern regions on Monday, while central and southern Bulgaria will have patchy clouds. Early in the week, temperatures will range between 5-12°C, with a slight dip expected by midweek. Colder air may push in, potentially bringing snow to the western and northern parts of the country by Thursday, though this is uncertain. Toward the weekend, temperatures are set to rise, reaching between 10-15°C, with some areas seeing morning fog. Following this, a brief warm spell, or "gypsy summer," is expected next week, with daytime highs approaching 20°C from November 18-24, although a return of rain is likely around November 20-21.