Greece is set to usher in the New Year under near-polar conditions, with meteorologists forecasting a precipitous drop in temperatures of up to 10 degrees Celsius with light snowfall also predicted in some regions.
Snow is forecast to fall in mountainous areas on Tuesday and Wednesday, with conditions easing from Thessaly southward later on Wednesday. Snow is also expected in the mountains of Crete on Thursday, while light snowfall cannot be ruled out on Mount Parnitha, near Athens, on New Year’s Eve.
In Thessaloniki, temperatures are expected to range from minus 1 to 5 degrees Celsius under mostly clear skies. The cold spell will intensify on Wednesday and Thursday, before a gradual warming trend sets in from Friday.
On Tuesday afternoon, rain is expected mainly in the Ionian Sea region, western and southern mainland Greece, and Crete, with limited rainfall elsewhere. By Wednesday midday, precipitation will shift east and south, affecting mainly the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese islands, while western Greece sees improving conditions. Localized rain is forecast on Wednesday night in Crete, the Dodecanese and the southeastern Aegean, with widespread cloud cover elsewhere.
By Thursday morning, rainfall will gradually weaken, lingering mainly over Crete and the southern Aegean, while mainland Greece sees improved weather. Conditions are expected to clear further by Thursday midday, with generally dry weather and only patchy cloud cover in southern regions.
