Sofia experiences a humid continental climate with four distinct seasons, marked by cold, snowy winters and warm, occasionally hot summers.
Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, though late spring and early summer see slightly more precipitation, making a compact umbrella a year-round staple.
Winter temperatures regularly drop below freezing, often hovering between -5°C and 3°C, while summer peaks reach 27°C to 32°C with occasional heatwaves pushing higher.
The city sits at roughly 550 meters elevation at the foot of Vitosha Mountain, which funnels cold winds down into the valley during winter and provides cooler evenings even in summer.
Spring and autumn are notoriously unpredictable here, swinging 15 degrees in a single day, so layering isn't optional—it's survival.