Snow

Athenians hoping for a white Christmas are unlikely to see their wishes come true, as the Greek capital - or most of the country for that matter - rarely see snow in December, data from the Athens Observatory show.

Today the weather will remain cloudy. Snowfall is expected mainly in the Danube Plain and the Fore-Balkan region. It will rain in many places in Central South and East Bulgaria, and in the Ludogorie region the rain will be turning into snow. Light to moderate wind from north, in East Bulgaria from northeast.

Today it will be mostly cloudy with precipitation. In the north-west and the high fields of Western Bulgaria in the morning hours it will rain, but it will turn it into snow before noon. The wind will gradually orient from the west, at the latest in Eastern Bulgaria, where it will still be from the east to the southeast - to moderate.

Cloudy skies with precipitations over the country today, chiefly snow in West and Central North Bulgaria, rain and snow in Southwest and rain in the rest of the regions. Light wind blowing from east-northeast, moderate in the Danube Plain. Maximum temperatures between 2°C and 7°C.

Variable clouds over the country today. Light snow only in some places in the hours before noon, in the mountains and Northeast Bulgaria.

Light to moderate wind from west-northwest, tapering off in the evening in most areas. Maximum temperatures between 2°C and 7°C, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, said.

Traffic was halted on Jan. 15 for several hours on parts of the highway from Ankara to Istanbul due to heavy snow. Click through for the story in photos...

Today the clouds will remain considerable over the eastern and mountainous regions. Light rain in some places along the coast and snow in Northeast Bulgaria and the mountains. Again moderate wind from west-northwest, sometimes strong in the Danube Plain.

Christmas and New Year holidays will be warmer than normal and with no snow. This is predicted by the climatologist Prof. Georgi Rachev. The only chance to spend holidays in a snow-covered setting will be on the high mountains, he said.
 

The cloud feeding in from west will spread over the whole country today. In the morning, there will be fog in some places in the lowlands and valleys.

Following the arrival earlier this week of a storm system dubbed Penelope, which saw temperatures plummet across Greece, the first snow blanketed mountains surrounding Attica, particularly in the Parnitha range. Up to 10 centimeters of snow fell at the popular Bafi refuge on Parnitha. Authorities said that snow chains are now required to get to the refuge.