Is the 17-year White Christmas drought in Croatia about to be broken?

Zagreb (Photo: Boška i Krešo/Zagreb Tourist Board)

With Christmas now less than a week away, the perennial question lingers: will there finally be a White Christmas in Croatia?

A White Christmas has become somewhat of a rarity in recent years, with the last official one occurring back in 2007.

To meet the definition of a White Christmas, there must be at least 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on Christmas morning.

Notably, snow doesn’t need to fall on Christmas Day itself to qualify—accumulation from earlier snowfalls suffices.

The Christmas of 2007 stands as a cherished memory for many. Zagreb woke up to a white blanket of 11 centimetres of snow, creating the quintessential festive scene.

The same snow depth was recorded in Karlovac, thanks to a Christmas Eve flurry, whilst there was also snow in Gorski Kotar, Slavonia, and Lika, making it a Christmas to remember.

A Chance for Snow in 2024?

After 17 years without a White Christmas, there is cautious optimism this year that the dry spell might finally be broken.

Current forecasts suggest the possibility of snow in several locations, including Zagreb, Delnice, Gorski Kotar, Lika and Karlovac, while others, such as Osijek and the Dalmatian coast Split, are set to bask in sunshine.

Here’s the forecast at a glance:

Zagreb: Snow predicted, with a high of 2°C and a low of -2°C.

Zagreb (yr.no)

Delnice: Snow likely, with temperatures ranging between 1°C and -4°C.

Gorski Kotar: A wintry scene expected, with highs of 2°C and lows of -6°C.

Gorski Kotar (yr.no)

Karlovac: Snowfall anticipated, with temperatures peaking at 2°C and dipping to -2°C.

Osijek: No snow here; sunshine forecasted with a high of 5°C and a low of 3°C.

Split/Dubrovnik: Bright skies, with highs of 7-8°C and lows around 3°C.

Split (yr.no)