Sofia is situated in a humid continental climate zone on the border between temperate and subtropical climates.

Thanks to its location just below the high mountains, winters here are colder than on the Bulgarian coast, but thanks to its southern location, Sofia's winters are considerably milder than those in Alpine cities, for example.

Normal winter temperatures are around 3 °C with a combination of rain and snow.

Summers in Sofia are hot and dry with average temperatures around 28 °C.

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Weather and temperatures throughout the year

Here's how the weather in Sofia looks during each month of the year.

Weather in January

Normal weather in January is marked by temperatures around 0 °C. In January, there are often cloudy skies and snow prevails over rain.

January is one of the main skiing seasons on the Vitosha massif, when there is the best chance of sufficient snow cover.

Weather in February

February is still a winter month in Sofia with all the trimmings. Temperatures hover around 0°C and it is often cloudy with snow or rain.

February is also ski season on Mount Vitosha.

Weather in March

March temperatures get up to around 10 °C, but it can still be around 0 °C on the mountains, so there is still a good chance of skiing in Sofia at least in the first half of March.

March is a fairly cloudy month with 11 days of rain and, in a minority of cases, snow.

Weather in April

In April, winter finally leaves and tourists in Sofia are welcomed by spring with temperatures around 15 °C.

The trees in the streets and parks start to turn green and the rain is usually only in the form of short showers. The snow is slowly disappearing from the mountains and skiing in April is unlikely to be enjoyed in Sofia.

However, April is one of the ideal months for urban tourism.

Weather in May

May is a month with very changeable weather and is one of the rainiest of the year.

On average, it rains 14 days out of the month, and on rare occasions there may be longer lasting rain. However, the rain is usually light and there are no severe thunderstorms, making May a good month for urban tourism.

Normal temperatures soar towards 20 °C.

Weather in June

The first month of summer sees temperatures rise to an average of 25 °C and summer thunderstorms are frequent and can appear quite suddenly.

Rain usually appears in the evening or at night, making June a great month for hiking.

Weather in July

July temperatures hover around 28°C and there are frequent temperature extremes well over 30°C.

July is a very sunny month, encouraging trips to the mountains, where it is always 3-4 °C cooler than in the city.

Rain occurs mainly in the form of short evening thunderstorms on average once every 5 days.

Weather in August

August is the hottest month in Sofia with an average temperature of 29 °C and frequent extremes of over 30 °C.

August weather is mostly clear and sunny with only occasional evening thunderstorms.

Weather in September

Expect average daily temperatures in September to be around 24 °C.

There is relatively little rain in September and showers tend to be brief, making this month absolutely ideal for hiking in the mountains and walking around town.

Weather in October

The first month of autumn is also characterised by good weather for hiking in the mountains.

Temperatures are a pleasant 17 °C, high in the mountains it can be 13 °C to 14 °C, but it rains on average only 8 days a month and usually only in the form of short showers lasting half a day at most.

Weather in November

In November the air cools to an average of 10 °C and the sky is often overcast.

Precipitation is not particularly heavy or prolonged and usually comes in the form of showers. Towards the end of the month, there may be snow in the mountains.

Weather in December

December is the darkest month of the year, with temperatures dropping towards 4 °C. It regularly freezes and snows in the mountains and the ski season starts around Christmas in Vitosha.