Kostenets snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Sofia, Bulgaria · 1,000m to 1,800m

Over the last 10 seasons Kostenets, Bulgaria has averaged 219cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 48cm, 2 powder days and 8 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Kostenets

219 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
48 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
8
Bluebird days
sun after snow
59
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
27
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Kostenets, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan43 cm22 cm17mm6.4 h2° / -5°0.41.63.2
Feb38 cm24 cm15mm7.6 h3° / -4°0.41.42.9
Mar40 cm14 cm31mm8.2 h6° / -2°0.31.26.4
Apr34 cm4 cm74mm10.1 h10° / 2°0.21.613.3
May1 cm0 cm147mm11.3 h14° / 6°0.00.120.3
Jun0 cm0 cm142mm13.3 h19° / 11°0.00.018.7
Jul0 cm0 cm119mm13.7 h21° / 13°0.00.013.3
Aug0 cm0 cm65mm12.5 h21° / 13°0.00.09.7
Sept0 cm0 cm72mm10.7 h17° / 9°0.00.09.7
Oct9 cm1 cm57mm8.7 h13° / 5°0.30.58.2
Nov18 cm2 cm56mm6.7 h8° / 1°0.30.48.6
Dec44 cm13 cm31mm6.2 h4° / -3°0.51.34.3

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
2025/26204 cm39 cm3104
2024/25252 cm74 cm5596
2023/24174 cm38 cm269
2022/23leanest152 cm33 cm0211
2021/22best295 cm54 cm41054
2020/21229 cm40 cm0147
2019/20273 cm40 cm3117
2018/19177 cm41 cm1513
2017/18224 cm60 cm2514
2016/17206 cm65 cm1851
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 1400m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Kostenets 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
below average
219 cm
Ahead of 33% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
48 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
about average
8
Ahead of 45% 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
27
Ahead of 15% 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
24cm average depth
Most new snow
December
44cm and 0.5 powder days
Best bluebird odds
January
1.6 bluebird days, 6.4h sun a day
Wettest month
May
20.3 rain days

Is Kostenets a good place to ski or board?

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

On 10 years of record, Kostenets is a mixed picture: 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 295cm — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 1400m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Kostenets snow record in detail

How much snow does Kostenets get?

Kostenets averages 219cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is below average: more snow than 33% 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 295cm, and the leanest was 2022/23 with 152cm — a difference of 143cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 204cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 44cm and 8 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Kostenets?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Kostenets the snowpack peaks at an average of 48cm 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 24cm through the month and topping out around 37cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Kostenets get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Kostenets 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.

December has the most, 0.5 on average.

How often does Kostenets get bluebird days?

Kostenets averages 8 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is about average, more than 45% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

January is the best month for it, averaging 1.6 bluebird days and 6.4 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Kostenets?

At mid-mountain Kostenets 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 20.3 rain days and 147mm on average.

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

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

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 Kostenets are taken at 1400m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Kostenets 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.

Kostenets in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 2cm through the month. It brings 18cm of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 8°C and lows 1°C, with 6.7 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Kostenets in December

Too early

In December cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 13cm through the month. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 44cm of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -3°C, with 6.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average December.

Kostenets in January

Early and thin

January is the start of the season at Kostenets: the base averages 22cm, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 43cm of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -5°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days, the most of any month. Expect the odd wet day — 3.2 on average at mid-mountain.

Kostenets in February

Best all round

In February the base is down to an average of 24cm, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It brings 38cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -4°C, with 7.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.4 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 2.9 on average at mid-mountain. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Kostenets.

Kostenets in March

Season over

By March the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 14cm. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 40cm of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 6.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Kostenets in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 4cm. It brings 34cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 10°C and lows 2°C, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.6 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 13.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Kostenets compares with nearby resorts

Of Kostenets and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Kostenets ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 219cm a season. Borovets, Belmeken and Yundola get more; Samokov gets less.

Borovets has the most powder days (3 a season, against 2 here); Borovets builds the deepest base (67cm against 48cm); and Borovets gets the most bluebird days (16 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 Kostenets and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Kostenets—1400m219cm48cm28
Borovets21 km1955m336cm67cm316
Belmeken21 km2281m299cm61cm311
Samokov25 km1620m209cm35cm29
Yundola26 km1700m243cm57cm211

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

More on Kostenets

Ski resorts near Kostenets

Distances are straight-line, not by road.