Bansko snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria · 925m to 2,600m

Over the last 10 seasons Bansko, Bulgaria has averaged 338cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 52cm, 5 powder days and 17 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Bansko

338 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
52 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
5
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
17
Bluebird days
sun after snow
47
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
34
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Bansko, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan78 cm22 cm15mm6.4 h0° / -7°1.03.12.2
Feb52 cm30 cm7mm7.8 h1° / -6°0.83.01.3
Mar61 cm19 cm23mm8.5 h3° / -4°0.83.24.3
Apr44 cm9 cm42mm10.1 h7° / -1°0.52.68.1
May6 cm1 cm137mm11.6 h12° / 4°0.00.218.7
Jun0 cm0 cm141mm13.3 h17° / 9°0.00.018.9
Jul0 cm0 cm107mm13.7 h20° / 11°0.00.012.6
Aug0 cm0 cm92mm12.5 h20° / 11°0.00.09.8
Sept0 cm0 cm72mm10.8 h16° / 7°0.00.09.7
Oct10 cm0 cm65mm8.7 h11° / 3°0.20.28.0
Nov31 cm1 cm83mm6.8 h6° / 0°0.51.28.5
Dec68 cm11 cm30mm6.4 h2° / -5°1.33.43.4

Averages across the last 10 seasons. Powder, bluebird and rain columns are the average number of such days per month.

Season by season

SeasonSnowfallPeak depthPowder daysBluebird daysSkiable days
2025/26357 cm115 cm816105
2024/25281 cm64 cm41250
2023/24267 cm29 cm4170
2022/23346 cm36 cm4721
2021/22417 cm38 cm81629
2020/21best428 cm39 cm6288
2019/20367 cm27 cm7190
2018/19282 cm68 cm3859
2017/18424 cm56 cm33019
2016/17leanest207 cm52 cm21444
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 15cm of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 10cm of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 1mm of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 30cm of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 1763m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Bansko compares

Measured against 39 other resorts across 18 countries, each analysed exactly the same way. The line down the middle of each bar is the median.

Snowfall per season
above average
338 cm
Ahead of 69% of resortsMedian 272 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
52 cm
Ahead of 13% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well above average
5
Ahead of 82% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
well above average
17
Ahead of 77% of resortsMedian 9

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
above average
47
Drier than 33% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 1mm or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
well below average
34
Ahead of 15% of resortsMedian 116

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

When to go

These rarely land in the same month, so it is worth deciding which one matters most before you book.

Deepest base
February
30cm average depth
Most new snow
January
78cm and 1.0 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
3.4 bluebird days, 6.4h sun a day
Wettest month
May
18.7 rain days

Is Bansko a good place to ski or board?

frequent powder daysplenty of bluebird daysthe base does not get especially deepthe season is shorter than average

On 10 years of record, Bansko stands out for frequent powder days and plenty of bluebird days. The trade-off is that the base does not get especially deep and the season is shorter than average.

Figures are modelled at 1763m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Bansko snow record in detail

How much snow does Bansko get?

Bansko averages 338cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is above average: more snow than 69% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 272cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2020/21 with 428cm, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 207cm — a difference of 222cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 357cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 78cm and 10 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Bansko?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Bansko the snowpack peaks at an average of 52cm each season. That is well below average, deeper than 13% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 30cm through the month and topping out around 44cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Bansko get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Bansko averages 5 powder days a season. That is well above average, more powder days than 82% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 1.0 on average.

How often does Bansko get bluebird days?

Bansko averages 17 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is well above average, more than 77% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 9.

December is the best month for it, averaging 3.4 bluebird days and 6.4 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Bansko?

At mid-mountain Bansko sees an average of 47 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is above average: 67% of the 39 other resorts we have analysed the same way see fewer wet days, against a median of 32.

May is the wettest month of the season, with 18.7 rain days and 137mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Bansko, and when does the season end?

For the deepest base, go in February; for the most new snow, January; for fresh snow with sunshine, December.

Comparisons use 39 resorts across 18 countries, each measured over 5 recent seasons at mid-mountain height. Glaciated locations, where the model never melts the snow out, are excluded. Figures for Bansko are taken at 1763m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Bansko month by month

What to expect in each month of the season, from the same ten-year record. Figures are averages for mid-mountain; a good or poor winter can move them a long way.

Bansko in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 1cm through the month. It brings 31cm of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows 0°C, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 8.5 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Bansko in December

Too early

In December cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 11cm through the month. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 68cm of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -5°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.4 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 3.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Bansko in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Bansko: the base averages 22cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 78cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -7°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 3.1 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.2 on average at mid-mountain.

Bansko in February

Best all round

In February the base is down to an average of 30cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It brings 52cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 1°C and lows -6°C, with 7.8 hours of sunshine a day and 3 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Bansko.

Bansko in March

Thinning out

In March the base is down to an average of 19cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 61cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -4°C, with 8.5 hours of sunshine a day and 3.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Bansko in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 9cm. It brings 44cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -1°C, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day and 2.6 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 8.1 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Bansko compares with nearby resorts

Of Bansko and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Bansko ranks 3 of 5 for snowfall, with 338cm a season. Mechi Chal and Razlog get more; Dobrinishte gets less.

Mechi Chal has the most powder days (7 a season, against 5 here); Mechi Chal builds the deepest base (61cm against 52cm); and Mechi Chal gets the most bluebird days (19 a season).

Each resort is measured at its own mid-mountain height, so part of any difference is altitude: a resort modelled 500m higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Bansko and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Bansko—1763m338cm52cm517
Mechi Chal3 km2050m442cm61cm719
Dobrinishte5 km1425m159cm35cm18
Panichishte6 km1950m338cm52cm517
Razlog13 km1710m339cm52cm517

Distances are straight-line. Season averages, November to May, over the last ten winters.

More on Bansko

Ski resorts near Bansko

Distances are straight-line, not by road.