Climate - Bulgaria

Index

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• Introduction
• The seasons
• Inland areas - Plovdiv, Sofia
• Mountains
• The coast - Varna
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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In Bulgaria, the climate is generally continental, with cold winters and warm to hot summers; it is slightly milder along the coast of the Black Sea, and of course colder in hills and mountains.
The country is exposed to both cold air masses from northern Europe or Russia and warm air masses from Northern Africa or the Mediterranean. In the south, at the border with Greece, the Rhodope Mountains, which somewhat separate Bulgaria from the Mediterranean world, are able to partly block the southern currents, however, warm air masses can at times surpass them and invade the country, bringing mild periods in winter and very hot in summer.
As a result, Bulgaria can experience cold waves in winter (generally, from mid-November to mid-March, but especially from December to February) and heat waves in summer (generally, from mid-June to mid-September, but especially in July and August).
The clash between air masses can bring strong winds, especially in the mountains and in the Thracian Plain, which lies south of the Balkan range.
Precipitation in Bulgaria is not abundant because the country is sheltered from the westerlies, which release most of the rainfall over the Adriatic coast. Precipitation usually amounts to around 500/600 millimeters (20/23.5 inches) per year in the plains, but it drops below 500 mm (20 in) in the coastal north-east area (see Varna), which is therefore quite arid. However, precipitation is a bit more abundant in the mountains.
In winter, precipitation is not abundant in the lowlands, but it is quite frequent and often occurs in the form of snow. The rainiest months are May and June because of thunderstorms, which can occur in the afternoon. These heat tunderstorms are less frequent in coastal areas, while they are more frequent and abundant in mountainous areas. Typically, in August and September, it rarely rains, but even October is often a dry month, at least in the plains and in Sofia.

The seasons

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Winter, from December to February, is cold throughout the country. Cold air often stagnates on the plains, with cloudy skies and light snowfalls, but these stable periods may be interrupted by warm wind invasions from the south, which can raise the temperature to 15 °C (59 °F) and more, and more frequently, by of cold air outbreaks from Russia, which can bring strong winds followed by severe frosts.

Spring, from March to May, is not very rainy; however, because of the clash between different air masses, it experiences great changes in temperature, especially in March and April, when the first warm days alternate with characterized by cold weather coming back, during which some late snow showers can occur. Usually, from mid-April or May, temperatures in the plains begin to be mild or warm in a more stable way. By May, in fine weather, afternoon thunderstorms begin to occur.

Summer, from June to August, is warm, or even hot, especially in inland plains: the heat is intense in the lowlands, especially at a distance from the sea. Highs are normally around 30/32 °C (86/90 °F), but very hot days, with peaks of 40 °C (104 °F), are not so rare.
Heatwaves are more frequent in July and August, but can sometimes also occur in the second half of June and in the first half of September.
In coastal areas, the heat is less intense and tempered by the breeze.

Autumn, from September to November, starts as a mild and pleasant season, with rare rains. Actually, in the first half of September there can still be summer-like weather. When the first rains occur in the central-western Mediterranean, high pressures systems still resist here. In general, there is a fairly sharp turn during the month of October, when colder air masses begin to circulate, but the rains are certainly not as plentiful as on the Mediterranean coast of the Balkan Peninsula, since the country is not directly exposed to western or southern winds.

Inland areas

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In Bulgaria, there are two plains, divided by the chain of the Balkan Mountains (or Stara Planina), which is stretched from west to east. North of the mountains, in the Danube Plain, separated from Romania by the river of the same name, where cities like Ruse and Pleven are found, the average temperature ranges from around 0 °C (32 °F) in January to 23 °C (73.5 °F) in July. South of the Balkans, the Thracian Plain, crossed by the Maritsa River, where cities like Plovdiv and Stara Zagora are found, is slightly warmer, with an average temperature ranging from 1 °C (34 °F) in January to 24 °C (75 °F) in July. The Danube Plain is more exposed to cold waves because the Balkans partly block the northern winds, in fact, the cold records of the past 20 years are around -25 °C (-13 °F) in the Danube Plain, while they hover around -20 °C (-4 °F) in the Thracian Plain.
In summer, both plains can be affected by heat waves, with temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and above.

Plovdiv

Here are the average temperatures of Plovdiv, situated, as mentioned, in the southern plain (Thracian plain).

Here is the average precipitation in Plovdiv.

The sun in Bulgaria regularly shines in summer, especially in the plains and along the coast, although clouds may form in the afternoon, which may lead to thunderstorms. In winter, on the other hand, the sun is not very frequent.
Here are the average daily sunshine hours in Plovdiv.

In the south-west, in the valley of the Struma River, towards the border with Greece (see Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad, Sandanski), the climate is a bit milder than in the plains: winters are quite cold, with possible frosts, while summers are hot.

Sofia

The capital, Sofia, is located at 550 meters (1,800 ft) of altitude, in a valley, a position that enhances cold air stagnation in winter and, in some cases, the summer heat as well. The city is located south of the western part of the Balkan range, but in this part, the mountains are not very high, so they don't protect much the city from cold air masses; in addition, because of the altitude, the city is often the coldest city of Bulgaria. Here, the average in January is -0.5 °C (31.5 °F). In summer, however, Sofia is cooler than the plains because of altitude: the average temperature in July is 21 °C (70 °F), even though it can sometimes be hot, with peaks of 35/37 °C (95/99 °F) from June to August, while nights are almost always cool and pleasant.

Mountains

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In addition to the aforementioned Balkan chain in the north, whose highest peak is Mount Botev, we find Mount Vitosha near Sofia, and then in the south, south of the Thracian plain, the Rila and Pirin massifs and the Rhodope mountains.
The mountainous areas have a cold climate, and the temperatures are similar, at a given altitude, to those of the southern side of the Alps. You can go skiing until the end of March in Borovets and Pamporovo.
Here are the average temperatures of the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, located in the south, near Pamporovo, at 1,759 meters (5,771 ft), in the Rhodope Mountains.

On Musala, which is located in the Rila Massif and is the highest peak in the whole of Bulgaria, at 2,925 meters (9,596 feet), fog, snow and strong winds are frequent. The temperature generally drops below -20 °C (-4 °F) every year. In March 1987, it dropped to -29 °C (-20 °F), and in January 1979, to -31 °C (-24 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

The coast

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To the east, the climate in the coastal strip, where we find cities like Varna, Sunny Beach, and Burgas, is milder than in the inland plain, being influenced by the Black Sea. In summer, sea breezes blow. However, the coast can also be affected by cold waves in winter, with peaks of -15 °C (5 °F) or less, and by heat waves in summer, with peaks of 36/38 °C (97/100 °F) or more.
In the south-eastern part of Bulgaria, south of Burgas and towards the Turkish border (see Ahtopol), the climate becomes even milder.

Varna

Here is the average temperature of Varna, located in the northern part of the coast.

The Black Sea is acceptable for swimming in summer, especially in July and August, and reaches 25 °C (77 °F) in August, while it's still a little cool in June.

Best Time

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Having a continental climate, Bulgaria can be visited in spring and autumn, in particular, from mid-May to mid-June, a period when some afternoon thunderstorms must be put into account, and from mid-September to mid-October, a period a bit cooler but also drier. For those who can stand the heat, summer can also be good, remembering that the cities located in inland plains like Plovdiv and Pleven can be hot in July and August.

In Sofia, the summer heat is slightly cooled by altitude. From May to August, some afternoon thunderstorms can occur, which become gradually less frequent, in fact, there are 9 days with some rainfall in May, 8 in June, 7 in July and 6 in August. In July and August, however, it can sometimes get hot during the day. In September, there are on average only 4 days with rain, and the temperatures are pleasant.

The Rose Valley, from Karlovo to Kazanlak, is located at about 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level, south of the Balkan Mountains, and in the flowering period, from mid-May to mid-June, it has warm days and cool nights, with possible thunderstorms in the afternoon.

The coastal areas of Bulgaria (see Sunny Beach, Golden Sands) can be a pleasant place to stay in summer (July and August) for a beach holiday. Every so often, some showers or thunderstorms can occur in the afternoon, but more rarely than in inland areas. September is still nice and sunny.

What to pack

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In winter: bring warm clothes, such as a sweater, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, a scarf, and a raincoat or umbrella.
In summer: bring light clothes, a T-shirt, but also long pants, a light jacket and a sweatshirt for the evening, and an umbrella.

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