Bansko snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria · 3,035ft to 8,530ft

Over the last 10 seasons Bansko, Bulgaria has averaged 133in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 20in, 5 powder days and 17 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Bansko

133 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
21 in
Peak depth
typical season high
5
Powder days
6in+ in a day
17
Bluebird days
sun after snow
47
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
34
Skiable days
12in+ 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
Jan31 in9 in0.6in6.4 h31° / 19°1.03.12.2
Feb20 in12 in0.3in7.8 h34° / 21°0.83.01.3
Mar24 in8 in0.9in8.5 h38° / 25°0.83.24.3
Apr17 in4 in1.6in10.1 h45° / 30°0.52.68.1
May2 in0 in5.4in11.6 h54° / 39°0.00.218.7
Jun0 in0 in5.6in13.3 h62° / 48°0.00.018.9
Jul0 in0 in4.2in13.7 h67° / 52°0.00.012.6
Aug0 in0 in3.6in12.5 h68° / 53°0.00.09.8
Sep0 in0 in2.8in10.8 h60° / 45°0.00.09.7
Oct4 in0 in2.6in8.7 h52° / 38°0.20.28.0
Nov12 in1 in3.3in6.8 h44° / 31°0.51.28.5
Dec27 in4 in1.2in6.4 h35° / 22°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
2025/26140 in45 in816105
2024/25111 in25 in41250
2023/24105 in11 in4170
2022/23136 in14 in4721
2021/22164 in15 in81629
2020/21best169 in15 in6288
2019/20144 in11 in7190
2018/19111 in27 in3859
2017/18167 in22 in33019
2016/17leanest81 in20 in21444
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 6in of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 4in of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 0.04in of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 12in of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 5,784ft, 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
133 in
Ahead of 69% of resortsMedian 107 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
20 in
Ahead of 13% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

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

Days with 6in 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 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

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

Days holding 12in 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
12in average depth
Most new snow
January
31in 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 5,784ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Bansko snow record in detail

How much snow does Bansko get?

Bansko averages 133in 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 107in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2020/21 with 169in, and the leanest was 2016/17 with 81in — a difference of 87in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 140in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 31in 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 20in each season. That is well below average, deeper than 13% of 39 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 12in through the month and topping out around 17in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Bansko get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in 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 4in 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 0.04in 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 5.4in 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 5,784ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 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 0in through the month. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 44°F and lows 31°F, 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 4in through the month. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 27in of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 1.3 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 22°F, 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 9in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 31in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 1 powder days. Average highs are 31°F and lows 19°F, 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 12in, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It brings 20in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 34°F and lows 21°F, 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 7in, 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 24in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.8 powder days. Average highs are 38°F and lows 25°F, 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 4in. It brings 17in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 45°F and lows 30°F, 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 133in 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 (24in against 20in); 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 1,640ft 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—5,784ft133in20in517
Mechi Chal2 mi6,726ft174in24in719
Panichishte4 mi6,398ft133in20in517
Dobrinishte6 mi4,675ft63in14in18
Razlog8 mi5,610ft133in20in517

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.