Eastern Europe
Bulgaria
Bansko
Natural snow at mid-mountain (1,795 m) is reliably skiable from 16 Jan to 15 Mar. At the peak of the season the village at 990 m is unreliable (5% of days) and modelled snowfall at the summit averages 62 cm a fortnight.
How natural snow at Bansko has changed
Days each winter (November to April) with 30 cm or more of natural snow, every winter since 1950. The lines are the averages for 1961/62 to 1990/91 and 1995/96 to 2024/25.
Village, 990 m
Too little natural snow in either period to measure a change.Mid-mountain, 1,795 m
22 fewer days a winter with 30 cm or more than in 1961–1990.Modelled from ERA5 weather (Copernicus Climate Change Service), one consistent record for every winter. Checked against measured snow, this model got the direction of change right at 18 of 19 Swiss weather stations and 22 of 25 US snow stations, but overstated its size: a typical loss of 26 days against 17 measured in Switzerland, and 12 against 6 in the US. Read the changes as upper estimates. See the measurements · All 104 resorts since 1950
Month by month
October
Natural snow at mid-mountain reached 30 cm on fewer than 5% of days.
November
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 5% of days.
December
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 44% of days.
January
Usually skiable. Mid-mountain had 30 cm or more on 84% of days, typically 62 cm deep. In the worst of the thirty winters there was none. The village is usually bare. Modelled snowfall at the summit averages 105 cm in the month, before wind and settling.
February
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (1,795 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 96% of days, with a typical depth of 91 cm. In the worst of the thirty winters there was none. The village is usually bare. Modelled snowfall at the summit averages 94 cm in the month, before wind and settling.
March
Snow-sure. Mid-mountain (1,795 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 90% of days, with a typical depth of 96 cm. In the worst of the thirty winters there was none. The village is usually bare. Modelled snowfall at the summit averages 115 cm in the month, before wind and settling.
April
Unreliable for natural snow. Mid-mountain reached 30 cm on 32% of days.
May to September
Natural snow at mid-mountain reached 30 cm on fewer than 5% of days.
Questions
When is the best time to ski Bansko?
For natural snow, 16 Jan to 15 Mar. In that window mid-mountain (1,795 m) had 30 cm or more of natural snow on at least 90% of days across thirty winters. February is the most reliable month.
Is there snow at Bansko in December?
In December, mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of natural snow on 44% of days over thirty winters, typically 26 cm deep. One or more seasons had none at all.
Does the snow reach the village at Bansko?
Almost never as natural snow. Even in February, the village at 990 m had 30 cm or more on fewer than 5% of days. Expect to ride a lift down at the end of the day.
How high is Bansko?
The modelled village is at 990 m, mid-mountain at 1,795 m and the summit at 2,600 m. The ski area itself spans 993 m to 2,516 m.
How much does natural snow vary from winter to winter at Bansko?
Across the thirty winters modelled, mid-mountain had 30 cm or more of natural snow on between 34 and 157 days per season, with a typical winter around 115. Thirty winters show how much one season can differ from the next. For how snow has changed since 1950, see the long record below.
What is the nearest airport to Bansko?
Sofia (SOF) is about 100 km away in a straight line. Plovdiv (PDV) is 118 km away. Road distances are longer.