Pamporovo snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Smolyan, Bulgaria · 1,650m to 1,926m

Over the last 10 seasons Pamporovo, Bulgaria has averaged 163cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 38cm, 2 powder days and 5 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Pamporovo

163 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
38 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
5
Bluebird days
sun after snow
59
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
9
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Pamporovo, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan35 cm11 cm34mm6.3 h0° / -8°0.30.94.7
Feb30 cm12 cm27mm7.4 h2° / -7°0.30.93.6
Mar29 cm7 cm38mm8.3 h4° / -5°0.10.86.9
Apr26 cm2 cm60mm10.1 h8° / -2°0.51.112.2
May1 cm0 cm94mm11.7 h12° / 3°0.00.017.3
Jun0 cm0 cm105mm13.3 h17° / 7°0.00.017.2
Jul0 cm0 cm75mm13.8 h20° / 10°0.00.011.6
Aug0 cm0 cm46mm12.7 h20° / 10°0.00.08.1
Sept0 cm0 cm53mm10.9 h16° / 6°0.00.08.4
Oct3 cm0 cm63mm8.6 h11° / 2°0.00.17.6
Nov12 cm1 cm56mm6.8 h6° / -2°0.20.38.3
Dec30 cm7 cm44mm6.3 h2° / -5°0.31.15.6

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
2025/26185 cm25 cm2100
2024/25150 cm36 cm124
2023/24leanest105 cm30 cm232
2022/23119 cm27 cm220
2021/22best199 cm44 cm2530
2020/21168 cm41 cm058
2019/20175 cm33 cm463
2018/19191 cm24 cm330
2017/18187 cm53 cm198
2016/17154 cm63 cm0634
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 1788m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Pamporovo 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
163 cm
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
38 cm
Ahead of 5% 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
5
Ahead of 33% 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
9
Lowest of every resort we compareMedian 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
12cm average depth
Most new snow
January
35cm and 0.3 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
1.1 bluebird days, 6.3h sun a day
Wettest month
May
17.3 rain days

Is Pamporovo 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, Pamporovo 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 199cm — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 1788m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Pamporovo snow record in detail

How much snow does Pamporovo get?

Pamporovo averages 163cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is well below average: more snow than 10% 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 199cm, and the leanest was 2023/24 with 105cm — a difference of 94cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 185cm.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 35cm and 6 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Pamporovo?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Pamporovo the snowpack peaks at an average of 38cm each season. That is well below average, deeper than 5% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 12cm through the month and topping out around 26cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Pamporovo get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Pamporovo 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, 0.3 on average.

How often does Pamporovo get bluebird days?

Pamporovo averages 5 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 33% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

December is the best month for it, averaging 1.1 bluebird days and 6.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Pamporovo?

At mid-mountain Pamporovo 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 17.3 rain days and 94mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Pamporovo, 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 Pamporovo are taken at 1788m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Pamporovo 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.

Pamporovo in November

Too early

In November cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 1cm through the month. It brings 12cm of new snow in an average year, with 2 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 6°C and lows -2°C, with 6.8 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.3 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average November.

Pamporovo in December

Too early

In December cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 7cm through the month. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 30cm of new snow on average, 5 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -5°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days, the most of any month. Rain is a real risk: 5.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average December.

Pamporovo in January

Too early

In January cover at mid-mountain is usually too thin to rely on, averaging 11cm through the month. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 35cm of new snow on average, 6 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -8°C, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 4.7 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average January.

Pamporovo in February

Season over

By February the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 12cm. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 30cm of new snow on average, 5 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 2°C and lows -7°C, with 7.4 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 3.6 on average at mid-mountain.

Pamporovo in March

Season over

By March the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 7cm. It brings 29cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 4°C and lows -5°C, with 8.3 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 6.9 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average March.

Pamporovo in April

Season over

By April the snow at mid-mountain has usually gone, with an average depth of just 2cm. It brings 26cm of new snow in an average year, with 5 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 8°C and lows -2°C, with 10.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 12.2 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

How Pamporovo compares with nearby resorts

Of Pamporovo and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Pamporovo ranks 4 of 5 for snowfall, with 163cm a season. Chepelare, Yundola and Belmeken get more; Dobrinishte gets less.

Belmeken has the most powder days (3 a season, against 2 here); Belmeken builds the deepest base (61cm against 38cm); 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 Pamporovo and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Pamporovo—1788m163cm38cm25
Chepelare7 km1500m182cm47cm26
Yundola83 km1700m243cm57cm211
Belmeken91 km2281m299cm61cm311
Dobrinishte95 km1425m159cm35cm18

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

More on Pamporovo

Ski resorts near Pamporovo

Distances are straight-line, not by road.