Kostenets snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Sofia, Bulgaria · 3,281ft to 5,906ft

Over the last 10 seasons Kostenets, Bulgaria has averaged 86in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 19in, 2 powder days and 8 bluebird days a year.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Kostenets

86 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
19 in
Peak depth
typical season high
2
Powder days
6in+ in a day
8
Bluebird days
sun after snow
59
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
27
Skiable days
12in+ 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
Jan17 in9 in0.7in6.4 h35° / 22°0.41.63.2
Feb15 in9 in0.6in7.6 h38° / 24°0.41.42.9
Mar16 in6 in1.2in8.2 h43° / 28°0.31.26.4
Apr13 in1 in2.9in10.1 h50° / 35°0.21.613.3
May0 in0 in5.8in11.3 h57° / 43°0.00.120.3
Jun0 in0 in5.6in13.3 h65° / 52°0.00.018.7
Jul0 in0 in4.7in13.7 h70° / 56°0.00.013.3
Aug0 in0 in2.5in12.5 h70° / 56°0.00.09.7
Sep0 in0 in2.8in10.7 h63° / 49°0.00.09.7
Oct4 in0 in2.2in8.7 h55° / 41°0.30.58.2
Nov7 in1 in2.2in6.7 h46° / 34°0.30.48.6
Dec17 in5 in1.2in6.2 h39° / 27°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
2025/2680 in15 in3104
2024/2599 in29 in5596
2023/2469 in15 in269
2022/23leanest60 in13 in0211
2021/22best116 in21 in41054
2020/2190 in16 in0147
2019/20107 in16 in3117
2018/1970 in16 in1513
2017/1888 in24 in2514
2016/1781 in26 in1851
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 4,593ft, 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
86 in
Ahead of 33% 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
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 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
well below average
27
Ahead of 15% 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
9in average depth
Most new snow
December
17in 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 116in — but the averages argue for flexibility on timing.

Figures are modelled at 4,593ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Kostenets snow record in detail

How much snow does Kostenets get?

Kostenets averages 86in 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 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2021/22 with 116in, and the leanest was 2022/23 with 60in — a difference of 56in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 80in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 17in 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 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 9in through the month and topping out around 15in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Kostenets get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in 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 4in 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 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 20.3 rain days and 5.8in 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 4,593ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 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 1in through the month. It brings 7in of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 46°F and lows 34°F, 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 5in through the month. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 17in of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 0.5 powder days. Average highs are 39°F and lows 27°F, 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 9in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 17in of new snow on average, 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 35°F and lows 22°F, 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 9in, enough on the upper mountain in most years but not something to count on lower down. It brings 15in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and 0.4 powder days. Average highs are 38°F and lows 24°F, 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 6in. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 16in of new snow on average, 8 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 43°F and lows 28°F, 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 2in. It brings 13in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 50°F and lows 35°F, 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 86in 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 (26in against 19in); 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 1,640ft 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—4,593ft86in19in28
Borovets13 mi6,414ft132in26in316
Belmeken13 mi7,484ft118in24in311
Yundola15 mi5,577ft96in22in211
Samokov16 mi5,315ft82in14in29

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.