Bulgaria will enter 2026 with mostly stable winter weather, marked by sunshine, wind and low temperatures in the opening days of the new year.
During the first half of New Year’s week, conditions will be largely calm and bright, with limited atmospheric disturbances. Monday and Tuesday will bring periods of stronger west-northwesterly winds, including sharper gusts at times. Morning temperatures will hover around zero or slightly below. During the daytime on Monday, values will range from 4 to 9 degrees, while on Tuesday they are expected to rise by another 1 to 2 degrees.
Despite a slight weakening, the wind will remain a factor at the start of the week. Gusts will be clearly noticeable, reaching speeds of 60 to 70 km/h in some areas. A yellow weather warning for potentially dangerous conditions has been issued for nearly the entire country.
On New Year’s Day and the following day, Wednesday and Thursday, skies will be more changeable, with intervals of increased cloud cover. During the night of December 31, there is a chance of isolated light snowfall, mainly in mountainous regions, the Fore-Balkans and parts of Northeastern Bulgaria. Windy conditions will persist, especially across Northern Bulgaria, where gusts will be stronger.
The final day of the year will feel distinctly cold, with temperatures close to zero in many regions. New Year’s Eve and the early hours of January 1 are expected to be frosty, with minimum temperatures in some areas falling to around minus 10 degrees.
In the days approaching Jordan’s Day and St. John’s Day, Bulgaria is forecast to come under the influence of milder Mediterranean air. This shift should temporarily ease the cold, bringing variable and breaking cloud cover, dry conditions and daytime temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees.
Looking further ahead, early outlooks suggest a passing weather disturbance around January 8 and 9, when rain and snow are both possible.
According to meteorologist Martin Slavchev from the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, cold and windy conditions will dominate as the year comes to an end. Speaking on NOVA NEWS, he noted that southwestern parts of the country are currently seeing temperatures between minus 5 and minus 3 degrees, while eastern regions are closer to 0 to 1 degree. Strong and gusty winds, particularly in the Danube Plain and the Upper Thracian Lowland, are making the cold feel more intense.
The overall outlook indicates that Bulgaria will bid farewell to the year under the influence of cold air and persistent wind, with especially low overnight temperatures expected in the valleys of Southwestern Bulgaria on New Year’s Eve.