Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, sits in a basin in the west of the country, ringed by mountains — including Vitosha rising just to the south — at around 550 metres above sea level and approximately 42.70°N, 23.32°E. Its inland, elevated, mountain-ringed position gives it a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfb/Dfb) — warm summers and cold, snowy winters — with rainfall spread through the year and a tendency to trap cold air and fog in the enclosed basin.

Summer, from June to August, is warm and moderately humid, with July and August the warmest months — average highs around 27–28°C — and occasional hot spells reaching the mid-30s, though the altitude keeps nights comfortably cool. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, sometimes heavy, and the elevation gives a pleasant day-to-night temperature swing. It is among the sunnier, more settled times of year.

Winter, from December to February, is cold and snowy, with January the coldest month — average highs around 3–4°C and lows near or below freezing, and cold spells that can drop temperatures well below -10°C. Snow falls frequently and can lie for weeks, and the enclosed basin readily traps cold air, fog and winter smog during still, high-pressure spells. The nearby Vitosha mountain offers skiing on the city's doorstep.

Sofia receives around 550–620 mm of precipitation a year, spread through the year with a late-spring and early-summer maximum from thunderstorms and a relatively drier winter; a good share of the cold-season total falls as snow, which accumulates in the cold basin. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Sofia's mountain-ringed basin shapes its climate, trapping cold air and fog in winter to give long cold spells and, during still high-pressure periods, concentrating winter air pollution over the city. The elevation moderates the summer heat and feeds the snow on nearby Vitosha, whose slopes put skiing within reach of the capital, while spring and autumn are relatively short, changeable transitional seasons.

To follow any single measurement in Sofia more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.