Chepelare snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Smolyan, Bulgaria · 1,200m to 1,800m

Over the last 10 seasons Chepelare, Bulgaria has averaged 182cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 47cm, 2 powder days and 6 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Chepelare

182 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
47 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
6
Bluebird days
sun after snow
59
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
18
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Chepelare, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan37 cm15 cm27mm6.3 h2° / -6°0.21.33.9
Feb33 cm17 cm22mm7.3 h4° / -5°0.41.03.1
Mar32 cm10 cm35mm8.1 h6° / -2°0.00.97.4
Apr30 cm3 cm61mm10.0 h10° / 1°0.41.012.7
May2 cm0 cm107mm11.5 h14° / 5°0.00.119.0
Jun0 cm0 cm104mm13.2 h19° / 10°0.00.017.7
Jul0 cm0 cm74mm13.7 h21° / 12°0.00.011.9
Aug0 cm0 cm43mm12.6 h22° / 12°0.00.08.7
Sept0 cm0 cm51mm10.7 h18° / 8°0.00.08.0
Oct4 cm0 cm60mm8.6 h13° / 4°0.10.18.1
Nov14 cm2 cm49mm6.8 h8° / 0°0.10.48.4
Dec35 cm10 cm37mm6.3 h4° / -3°0.41.34.8

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
2025/26206 cm29 cm2120
2024/25181 cm56 cm2235
2023/24leanest129 cm35 cm244
2022/23131 cm33 cm119
2021/22best233 cm60 cm1550
2020/21191 cm44 cm0108
2019/20195 cm46 cm477
2018/19201 cm35 cm174
2017/18189 cm60 cm279
2016/17163 cm74 cm0549
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 1500m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Chepelare compares

Measured against 40 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
well below average
182 cm
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
47 cm
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
about average
2
Ahead of 43% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
below average
6
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well above average
59
Drier than 15% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
well below average
18
Ahead of 8% of resortsMedian 115

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
17cm average depth
Most new snow
January
37cm and 0.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
1.3 bluebird days, 6.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
19.0 rain days

Is Chepelare a good place to ski or board?

snowfall is on the light sidethe base does not get especially deepit sees more rain than mostthe season is shorter than average

On 10 years of record, Chepelare is a mixed picture: snowfall is on the light side, the base does not get especially deep, it sees more rain than most and the season is shorter than average. It can still ski well in a good year — 2021/22 produced 233cm — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 1500m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Chepelare snow record in detail

How much snow does Chepelare get?

Chepelare averages 182cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well below average: more snow than 23% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 283cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2021/22 with 233cm, and the leanest was 2023/24 with 129cm — a difference of 104cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 206cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 37cm and 7 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Chepelare?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Chepelare the snowpack peaks at an average of 47cm each season. That is well below average, deeper than 10% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 17cm through the month and topping out around 32cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Chepelare get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Chepelare averages 2 powder days a season. That is about average, more powder days than 43% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

January has the most, 0.2 on average.

How often does Chepelare get bluebird days?

Chepelare averages 6 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is below average, more than 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

December is the best month for it, averaging 1.3 bluebird days and 6.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Chepelare?

At mid-mountain Chepelare sees an average of 59 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well above average: 85% of the 40 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 19.0 rain days and 107mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Chepelare, 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 40 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 Chepelare are taken at 1500m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Chepelare 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.

Chepelare in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 2cm through the month. It brings 14cm of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 8°C and lows 0°C, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Chepelare in December

Too early

In December cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 10cm through the month. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 35cm of new snow on average, 6 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -3°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is a real risk: 4.8 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average December.

Chepelare in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Chepelare: the base averages 15cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 37cm of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -6°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.9 on average at mid-mountain.

Chepelare in February

Best all round

In February the base is down to an average of 17cm, 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 33cm of new snow on average, 6 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -5°C, with 7.3 hours of sunshine a day and 1 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.1 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Chepelare.

Chepelare in March

Season over

By March the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 10cm. It brings 32cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 8.1 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 7.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Chepelare in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 3cm. It brings 30cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 10°C and lows 1°C, with 10 hours of sunshine a day and 1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 12.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Chepelare compares with nearby resorts

Of Chepelare and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Chepelare ranks 3 of 5 for snowfall, with 182cm a season. Yundola and Belmeken get more; Pamporovo and Dobrinishte get less.

Belmeken has the most powder days (3 a season, against 2 here); Belmeken builds the deepest base (61cm against 47cm); and Yundola gets the most bluebird days (11 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 Chepelare and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Chepelare—1500m182cm47cm26
Pamporovo7 km1788m163cm38cm25
Yundola79 km1700m243cm57cm211
Belmeken87 km2281m299cm61cm311
Dobrinishte95 km1425m159cm35cm18

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

More on Chepelare

Ski resorts near Chepelare

Distances are straight-line, not by road.