Bright snow surprised major Hungarian cities, more may come as temperatures drop below -10°C – photos, videos

In recent days, a surprisingly cold front reached Hungary, though it brought little snowfall to most areas. Today, however, that changed: Debrecen and the Nyírség region were nicely blanketed in white thanks to a supercell. The cold will persist; while today’s biting wind may ease, much larger areas could be covered tomorrow, on the final day of the year. In some places, temperatures could even drop below -10°C.

Snow surprises Hungarian cities today

According to Időkép, a dramatic supercell structure brought snowfall to the outskirts of Debrecen and the Nyírség region earlier today. Although the cold front that arrived last night did bring snow, much of the precipitation passed quickly across the country, with only small amounts falling in eastern regions. Időkép notes that supercells are typically summer atmospheric phenomena, but they can also occur in winter if a rotating updraught forms.

Here are two more photos from Debrecen taken today:

“Behind the front, a convergence zone created a surface trigger that generated snow showers over Debrecen and the Nyírség,” explains the meteorological news portal. Fortunately, there was no significant electrical activity, so no thunderstorm developed.

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The snow-bringing supercell’s cloud column over Debrecen:

A short while ago, Időkép reported that snow had already begun falling to the north and north-east of the capital, and that the first snowflakes of this winter would soon drift over Budapest as well.

What can we expect on New Year’s Eve?

Today, a colder Arctic air mass reached Hungary, and it is expected to dominate the weather through to the end of the year. On the first day of the new year, a marginal cyclone will arrive. As a result, a severe frost is forecast across the country on 31 December. In Debrecen or Miskolc, for example, temperatures will be around -9°C at dawn tomorrow, while in enclosed northern valleys they could fall below -10°C.

A webcam showed how the garden of the University of Debrecen turned white earlier today:

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Instensive snowstorm in Visegrád this evening:

Debrecen’s railway station today:

After today’s stormy north-westerly winds, conditions will calm and the breeze will ease. Where winds drop, it will feel colder, particularly in the north-eastern and south-western regions. Sunshine is expected, but daytime temperatures in northern and north-eastern areas will remain below freezing.

Many regions of Hungary may be covered by snow tomorrow, including Transdanubia and central areas. In the Bakony Mountains, snow depth could reach 3–4 cm.

On New Year’s Eve night, forecasts suggest Budapest and most major cities will remain just below freezing, while eastern regions will be significantly colder: Debrecen -6°C, Nyíregyháza -7°C, and Miskolc -8°C. According to Hungaromet, snow showers may occur early in the night, and skies will remain overcast throughout New Year’s Eve.

Thursday may still bring snowfall, but Friday is more likely to see rain. The first weekend of the new year is expected to be cloudier, with increased chances of precipitation.

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Featured image: illustration. Source: depositphotos.com.