Chepelare snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Smolyan, Bulgaria · 3,937ft to 5,906ft

Over the last 10 seasons Chepelare, Bulgaria has averaged 72in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 19in, 2 powder days and 6 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Chepelare

72 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
19 in
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
6in+ in a day
6
Bluebird days
sun after snow
59
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
18
Skiable days
12in+ 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
Jan15 in6 in1.1in6.3 h36° / 22°0.21.33.9
Feb13 in7 in0.9in7.3 h39° / 23°0.41.03.1
Mar12 in4 in1.4in8.1 h44° / 28°0.00.97.4
Apr12 in1 in2.4in10.0 h51° / 33°0.41.012.7
May1 in0 in4.2in11.5 h58° / 42°0.00.119.0
Jun0 in0 in4.1in13.2 h66° / 50°0.00.017.7
Jul0 in0 in2.9in13.7 h71° / 54°0.00.011.9
Aug0 in0 in1.7in12.6 h71° / 54°0.00.08.7
Sep0 in0 in2in10.7 h64° / 47°0.00.08.0
Oct2 in0 in2.4in8.6 h56° / 39°0.10.18.1
Nov5 in1 in1.9in6.8 h47° / 33°0.10.48.4
Dec14 in4 in1.5in6.3 h39° / 26°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
2025/2681 in11 in2120
2024/2571 in22 in2235
2023/24leanest51 in14 in244
2022/2351 in13 in119
2021/22best92 in24 in1550
2020/2175 in17 in0108
2019/2077 in18 in477
2018/1979 in14 in174
2017/1874 in24 in279
2016/1764 in29 in0549
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 4,921ft, 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
72 in
Ahead of 23% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well below average
19 in
Ahead of 10% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

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

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

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

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
7in average depth
Most new snow
January
15in 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 92in — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 4,921ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Chepelare snow record in detail

How much snow does Chepelare get?

Chepelare averages 72in 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 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2021/22 with 92in, and the leanest was 2023/24 with 51in — a difference of 41in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 81in.

January is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 15in 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 19in each season. That is well below average, deeper than 10% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in February, averaging 7in through the month and topping out around 13in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Chepelare get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in 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 4in 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 0.04in 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 4.2in 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 4,921ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 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 1in through the month. It brings 6in of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 47°F and lows 33°F, 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 4in through the month. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 14in of new snow on average, 6 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 39°F and lows 26°F, 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 6in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 15in of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 36°F and lows 22°F, 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 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 13in of new snow on average, 6 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 39°F and lows 23°F, 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 4in. It brings 13in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 44°F and lows 28°F, 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 1in. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 51°F and lows 33°F, 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 72in 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 (24in against 19in); 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 1,640ft 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—4,921ft72in19in26
Pamporovo4 mi5,866ft64in15in25
Yundola51 mi5,577ft96in22in211
Belmeken54 mi7,484ft118in24in311
Dobrinishte58 mi4,675ft63in14in18

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.