An episode of authentic winter in Romania
Snow and blizzards have affected several areas of Romania in recent days, especially in the mountains and in the southwest
Bogdan Matei, 09.01.2026, 14:00
Snow and blizzards have affected several areas of Romania in recent days, especially in the
mountains and in the southwest. Traffic has been difficult, with temporary blockages, closed
county roads, and train delays. On one highway, a line of trucks stretching over 20 kilometers
formed due to some trucks not being properly equipped. An ambulance and a mail truck were
stuck in snowdrifts on a local road. Many schools suspended classes or held them online, and
some counties experienced power supply problems.
In the south, the crossing over the Danube to neighboring Bulgaria by ferry at Bechet and the
ferry from Nikopol to Turnu Măgurele were suspended due to strong winds. County
authorities have decided to monitor vulnerable people, especially pregnant women in their last
trimester, people on dialysis, those dependent on oxygen, and those with pacemakers, as well
as to inform medical facilities of the necessary measures to adapt dialysis schedules so that
patients in hard-to-reach areas are not exposed to the risks posed by weather conditions.
Normal winter weather will continue until the end of the week, with heavy snow, blizzards,
and frost.
These phenomena are typical for this time of year, even though recent years have started with
temperatures above 18 degrees Celsius, meteorologist Mihai Huştiu told Radio Romania:
“We are experiencing authentic winter weather. Several alerts have been issued regarding
snowfall and strong winds, with an orange code in effect for the Southern Carpathians, where
winds are blowing at 90-120 km per hour, snow is drifting, and visibility is significantly
reduced. We also have snow and wind in Transylvania (center), Moldova (east), Dobrogea
(southeast), Muntenia (south), and in the southern part of Oltenia (southwest), the wind is
blowing strongly, although the snowfall is stopping in this area. Temperatures are dropping,
with a yellow frost warning currently in place for the Carpathian region, but temperatures are
expected to remain low over the next few nights. On Friday night into Saturday, temperatures
in Moldova will be below freezing. This is what January used to be like in past decades,
which is why we traditionally call it the Frozen Month, when we should have low
temperatures, below minus 10 degrees. Probably, if we take stock at the end of the month, we
will not be far from what January means climatologically. In recent years, we have had warm
Januaries, and let us remember January 2023, when heat records for this month were broken:
it was almost 23 degrees in Zimnicea (south), and in the capital, at the Bucharest Băneasa
weather station, it reached 20.9 degrees.”
In the mountains, there is a high risk of avalanches, i.e. score 4 out of a maximum of 5, in
Bucegi and Făgăraş (center) and grade 3 in the other massifs in the Eastern Carpathians, and
mountain rescuers recommend that tourists stay in the area of the designated slopes. (MI)
