Greece is anticipating a White Christmas, with meteorologists forecasting snowfall across many northern and central regions of the country starting early next week.
For many Greeks, the idea of a snowy Christmas is more of a romantic notion than a regular occurrence. That may change this year. In contrast to the warm weather of recent years, this year, according to the forecast so far, snow is expected to fall even in non-mountainous areas on Christmas, with the temperature showing a noticeable drop.
“If today’s forecast data is maintained, I think that this Christmas, we will have snow,” meteorologist Giorgos Tsatraphyllias said, noting that in the next couple of days, it will become clearer if the snow will also fall in non-mountainous regions.
“Starting on Friday there will be a change in weather and it seems that from Monday and on Christmas Day the main characteristics will be a drop in temperature of five to six degrees. Snowfall is forecast in central and northern Greece. We will soon find out if there will be snowfall in lower altitudes.”
He also said that the forecast for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is for rain and storms in most areas, in the lowlands and on the islands, accompanied by strong winds of 7 to 8 Beaufort.
White Christmas in Greece is a rare phenomenon
Meteorologist Sakis Arnaoutoglou said that bad weather had begun to descend on Greece from northern Europe.
He specifically states that, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the cold is expected to be intense and will mainly affect central and northern Greece. This, combined with a barometric low, in addition to rain, will probably also lead to strong winds.
“There may be deviations, but with today’s forecast data, we are heading for bad weather in several areas of the country on December 24-25 with cold, lots of snow and heavy snowfall in mountainous areas. Mainly above 1,200-1,400 meters and lower in northern Greece,” Arnaoutoglou said in his forecast.
He added that “for northern Greece, there are indications that the snow in some areas will descend to very low altitudes. After December 27th, the cold may subside a little, but the cold masses are not leaving northern Europe, so we may have some continuation towards the New Year. We will see, this is still early.”
It is rare for Greece to celebrate a White Christmas, particularly in most parts of the country. Greece has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Snowfall is uncommon in lowland and coastal areas during December, including in major cities such as Athens, which typically experience average temperatures between 8–15°C (46–59°F).
However, snow is more likely in Greece’s mountainous regions and northern parts of the country. Areas like the Pindus mountain range, Mount Olympus, or towns in Northern Greece (e.g., Florina, Metsovo) might get snow in December.
Occasionally, weather anomalies bring snow to lower elevations, including Athens, but this is quite rare on Christmas.