Croatia hit by heavy snow

Winter weather across Croatia has brought low temperatures and heavy snowfall, causing difficulties in traffic in city centres, on trains and on motorways on 6 and 7 January.

The heaviest snowfall was recorded at Zavižan, Gospić and Medvednica, although no records were broken, CE Report quotes HINA.

Although in recent years Croatia has become accustomed to milder winters with little snow, on Tuesday the snow fell continuously, causing numerous problems -- from difficult road conditions to slips and falls among pedestrians. The snow and ice significantly increased the workload for Zagreb’s emergency services.

According to data from the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ), the highest snowfall on Wednesday morning was recorded at Zavižan -- 61 centimetres, followed by Gospić with 51 centimetres, Puntijarka on Zagreb's Medvednica with 49 centimetres, and Parg-Čabar, also with 49 centimetres.

More than 40 centimetres of snow fell at the Plitvice Lakes, in Gračac and in Bosiljevo.

Snowfall was also reported in Karlovac (29 cm), Varaždin (24 cm), and around 20 centimetres in Sisak, Ilok, Požega and Bjelovar.

Outside the continental and mountainous regions, snow also settled along the Istrian coast, with around two to three centimetres in Pula, Rovinj and Poreč.

In Zagreb, 29 centimetres of snow accumulated at the airport measuring station, 24 centimetres in Maksimir Park and 22 centimetres at Grič.

Record from 1929 still in place for Zagreb

Comparing the data, the DHMZ told Hina that the total and new snow depths measured in Zagreb on 7 January did not exceed the highest values for January over the past 20 years, i.e., from 2005 to 2024, or the absolute maximums for that period.

During that time, the heaviest snowfall occurred in early 2013, when on 15 January 67 centimetres of snow were recorded at Maksimir, 54 centimetres at Grič and 56 centimetres at Pleso.

Zagreb's all-time records, however, have stood for almost 100 years since measurements began at these meteorological stations. In February 1929, Maksimir recorded a staggering 95 centimetres of snow, while Grič's highest snow depth of 84 centimetres was measured even earlier, in February 1895. Pleso still holds a record from January 1970 at 61 centimetres.

The DHMZ website notes that the maximum snow cover ever recorded in Croatia since measurements began is 322 centimetres, measured on 21 March 2013 at Zavižan, the country’s highest weather station.

Other notable records include Gospić with 285 centimetres in 1929, Mount Učka with 239 centimetres in 1970, and around two metres of snow at Mrkopalj in 2018, Mrzla Vodica in 1969, Stari Laz in 2018 and Fužine Dam in 1969.

The month with the most recorded maximum snow depths is by far February, followed by January, March, December, and November.

The years with the most recorded maximum snow depths belong to the last decade: 2012, 2018 and 2013, while from the end of the previous century, 1986 and 1993 also stand out.

The DHMZ notes that most weather stations began operating in the second half of the 20th century, while at stations with longer measurement records, 1929 remains particularly notable.

foto Tomislav Pavlek