Winter weather is set to return, the National Directorate General for Disaster Management (OKF) warned in its Thursday announcement. According to the latest forecasts, 2-15 centimeters of snow may fall in the North Hungarian Mountains on Thursday. In Budapest, morning snow has been be replaced by sleet and rain. Areas south of the capital are likely to see little to no snow, while locations north of Budapest could receive more than 5 centimeters.
It has been known for several days that a Mediterranean cyclone would reach Hungary, but it was unpredictable where it would hit and exactly what kind of precipitation it would bring. On Thursday morning, the precipitation system associated with the cyclone reached the country, bringing rain to the central part of the country and snow to the northern areas.
With its arrival, Budapest was temporarily covered in white, but the precipitation has already turned to rain. Snowfall is still continuing in the north and in the Danube Bend,
reads a recent report by idokep.hu.
Based on the forecast by meteorological service HungaroMet, today’s precipitation will mainly affect the North Hungarian Mountains region. In the southern foothills, snowfall may mix with sleet and rain throughout the day. In the northern areas, however, steady snowfall is expected, likely in the form of heavy, wet snow. By evening, 1–7 centimeters could accumulate on lower-lying terrain, followed by an additional 2–5 centimeters overnight. In mountainous areas, the snow cover may exceed 15 centimeters by Friday morning.
The Mátraszentistván Ski Park in the Mátra Mountains has announced the arrival of the heaviest snowfall of the winter so far. The cold air mass of Arctic origin has arrived and snowfall has begun, they wrote in their Facebook post.
As forecasts predict several snowfalls this week, winter sports enthusiasts can look forward to excellent snow conditions and extended opening hours at the ski park.
Mátraszentistván Ski Park on January 2, 2026. Photo: MTI/Komka Péter
Looking ahead, from late Thursday evening precipitation will gradually turn to snow from the northwest, and from dawn on Friday the changeover will extend from the north. By midnight on Friday, snowfall is expected in Western Transdanubia, spreading to the western and northern regions by morning.
Heavy snowfall is forecast mainly in the west, where 10–25 centimeters of fresh snow may accumulate by morning.
During the initial phase of precipitation, around 5–8 centimeters of wet, sticky snow could fall. In the northern areas, lighter accumulation is expected, with around 2 centimeters of snow likely.
From Friday morning until midnight, precipitation is expected throughout the country, gradually shifting to the southeast in the afternoon and evening. The precipitation may turn to snow in the afternoon and evening in the southeastern part of the country. With the exception of the southeastern parts, 2-15 cm of snow may fall in a variable distribution, with sticky snow (~2-7 cm) in many places.
From Friday, snowfall can be expected in the west and north, and rain in the southeast. By Friday evening, 15-20 cm of snow may fall in northern Transdanubia, primarily in Vas and Győr-Moson-Sopron counties. In southern Transdanubia and the central part of the country, a snow cover exceeding 5 cm may form.
In addition to snowfall, strong winds are also expected on Friday, that may cause snow drifts in the western part of Transdanubia.
It cannot be ruled out that HungaroMet will issue a third-degree red alert due to snow drifts.
The wind will ease by Saturday morning, when temperatures may drop to around -10 to -15 degrees Celsius in some places. The weather will turn milder on Sunday.
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Via MTI, met.hu, idokep.hu; Featured image: Hungary Today
The post Winter Is Back: Heavy Snowfall Hits Parts of the Country appeared first on Hungary Today.
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