Temperatures across Greece plunge Monday, ushering in a biting but mostly dry chill that is expected to dominate the country through New Year’s Eve.
While winds are forecast to reach gale-force speeds of 7 on the Beaufort scale in some areas, meteorologists say the "winter wonderland" of widespread snow will not materialize for most of the country.
Snowfall is expected to remain confined strictly to high mountain elevations.
Thodoris Kolydas, a prominent Greek meteorologist, said updated forecasts show a clear consensus among major weather models: a cold but stable pattern is settling in.
“The picture for the New Year shows a shift toward cold conditions without impressive phenomena,” Mr. Kolydas wrote in a social media analysis.
He explained that high atmospheric pressure is blocking the development of organized storm systems, limiting weather activity.
According to Mr. Kolydas, any precipitation will be sporadic and light, affecting primarily the eastern and southern Aegean islands, including Crete.
The forecast models—ICON, GFS, and ECMWF—now agree on this drier scenario, differing only on the severity of overnight temperature drops in mainland basins.
“The focus now shifts to how sharp the nighttime cold will feel, rather than whether we’ll see rain or snow,” Mr. Kolydas said. “It will be a wintry but calm transition into the new year.”