Bulgaria’s Christmas long weekend weather outlook
Bulgaria’s national meteorological bureau has forecast possible snowfalls for several parts of the country on Christmas Day, as the country heads for the December 24 to 28 long weekend.
According to the meteorological bureau, the December 24 Christmas Eve public holiday will see rainfall over most of Bulgaria, and the bureau has issued the Code Yellow warning of potentially dangerous weather for several districts in the western half of the country.
On the evening of December 24, with temperatures dropping in many places in north-western Bulgaria, in the Fore-Balkans and at higher altitudes in the western parts of Bulgaria, the rain will turn into snow.
Minimum temperatures will be between minus 2° and 3° Celsius, and maximums between 3° and 8°.
The bureau has forecast snow on December 25 for Sofia, Vidin, Montana, Silistra, Rousse, Shoumen, Veliko Turnovo and Blagoevgrad, as well as on the country’s mountains, with rain elsewhere, including in Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas.
On December 26, precipitation will stop, the wind will weaken and it will remain mostly cloudy with temperatures in most of the country close to zero.
On December 27 and 28, it will less cloudy, while minimum temperatures will decrease and daytime temperatures slightly increase.
Bulgaria’s Road Infrastructure Agency appealed to motorists to set off with cars prepared for winter conditions.
The agency said that about 100 000 cars are expected to leave Sofia for the Christmas holidays, with about 35 000 cars expected to be on the Trakia Motorway, 20 000 on the Hemus Motorway, 20 000 on the Struma Motorway and 10 000 on the Europa Motorway.
To increase traffic safety, given the expected heavy traffic, from 2pm to 8pm on December 23, the movement of lorries of more than 12 tons will be restricted on the entire length of the Trakia and Struma motorways and on the Hemus Motorway in the section from Sofia to Dermantsi in the districts of Sofia and Lovech for vehicles leaving Sofia.
On December 30, the movement of heavy trucks will be suspended between 2pm and 8pm, with the restriction applying to vehicles leaving Sofia.
The restriction does not apply to vehicles providing public passenger transport.
On the Hemus and Struma Motorways, the ban does not cover vehicles over 12 tons carrying dangerous goods, live animals, perishable food products and temperature-controlled cargo, and specialized carcass trucks.
(Photo: Lance Nelson of Bansko App)
