Snow

As the Balkans winds have broken the warm winter spell in the country, Istanbul is likely to receive heavy snowfall on the weekend, meteorologists have said, adding that the Siberian cold wave will also hit the country as of Feb. 5.

Many provinces have welcomed the snowfall with joy though it has disrupted daily life and made transportation difficult, as the country has been waiting for months amid the driest winter in recent years.

The heavy snowfall created problems in the passes in the Middle Stara Planina and the Rhodope mountains.

Restrictions on the movement of trucks have been imposed through the Troyan - Karnare, Rozhen, Prevala and Pechinsko passes in Smolyan region.

"On Thursday, January 26, first in southeastern Serbia, and by the end of the day in other parts of Serbia, snow can be expected! A cold Koava wind will blow. The highest daily temperature will be from 0 to 4 degrees Celsius. From Friday, January 27, until Sunday afternoon, January 29, it will be snowing with minor interruptions!

The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology announced an orange code for snowfall for tomorrow, January 26, for the regions of Blagoevgrad, Pazardzhik, Plovdiv and Smolyan. A yellow code has been issued for seven other districts in Western Bulgaria. For Kardjali, the code for snow and rain is also yellow, and for Haskovo, a yellow code for rain has been announced.

Today, a moderate wind will continue to blow from the east-northeast, bringing cold air with it. It will be mostly cloudy.

The warmer temperatures of late January are over. The lowest temperature is on Mount Musala - minus 8 degrees Celsius. The rains are set - they have already started in the extreme southwestern regions, as well as in the northwestern part of the country. This was announced on BNT by the forecaster from NIMH Anastasia Stoycheva.

With temperatures above the seasonal norms and a lack of snowfall, ski resorts across the country are facing a low influx of tourists as the occupancy rate of hotels is dwindling compared to the previous seasons, while ski resorts are using artificial snow to keep the tracks open.

A Mediterranean cyclone will pass through the country. The weather will be mostly cloudy, windy and rainy. During the day, the wind will be oriented from the west-northwest and cold air will invade with it.

Snow is falling in Bulgaria's winter resorts. This is the first serious snowfall of the season, after weeks of hoteliers and concessionaires complaining about the lack of snow and a weak season.

In Pamporovo, in the last 24 hours, another 15-20 cm of new snow has accumulated, explained Stefan Prisadov, director of the ski area.