The winter of 1950 remains the benchmark against which all island snowfall is still measured!

Who wants a white Christmas in Cyprus?!

Our summer visitors would be shocked to see the land of sun, sea and sand covered in white. Or at least the mountains covered; it’s a rare winter when drifts drift down to the towns!

This year, we’ve already seen snowfall at least once: as early as December 5 there was snow on Troodos. But will we have a whiteout later in the month? Because, here on the island, though our days tend to be very merry and bright, not all our Christmases are white….

Back in 2016, snow arrived gently during the festive period, settling across the highest peaks and villages. A year later, 2017 was less subtle: snow fell right on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself, turning parts of Troodos completely white!

The next year, however, the weather mixed up its timings: snow fell not on, but just after Christmas Day. But by 2019 we were back on track: from Christmas Eve onwards, there was snowfall over the peaks that lingered long into the holidays, blanketing mountain villages and closing roads to those sans 4×4 and chains!

The next couple of years were quieter – perhaps COVID scared the snow away? Christmas 2020 remained mild, with snow appearing early in December but melting away before the big day. And 2021 followed the same pattern: wintry moments earlier in the month, but nothing to write home about on December 25.

The same thing happened in both 2022 and 2023, when the snow made an early appearance, and then quickly disappeared. But then, in 2024, Elena delivered! A low pressure system beginning in the Adriatic, Elena moved south, and snow on December 25 and 26 gave the island a true winter wonderland.

At a rough estimate, that makes about one in every three recent Christmases white. But what will this year bring?

Well, it’s no surprise that the main towns won’t be celebrating a white Christmas – snowfall on the coast or on the plains is a very rare event indeed. The great exception was December 1950: one of the coldest spells Cyprus has ever seen, with snow falling far beyond the Troodos range and reaching unusually low altitudes.

Parts of the plains and even coastal areas saw snowfall, transport was disrupted and, till today, the winter of 1950 remains the benchmark against which all claims of a ‘white Christmas’ are still measured!

This weekend, of course, is unlikely to live up to the past. Nicosia will be mostly sunny with a few clouds drifting in as the week progresses, with temperatures holding steady around 20 degrees. Limassol’s just one degree warmer, sitting at about 21 degrees – though with a little rain forecast on Sunday.

Larnaca is pretty much the same: sunny spells and 21 degrees over the weekend, before rain kicks in on Monday. And both Paphos and the Famagusta region are set for intermittent sun and cloud, with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees and the possibility of a few showers towards the end of the weekend.

But it’s Troodos, of course, that may see the snow. Here on the higher reaches of the island, we’re set for a cool 11 degrees on Saturday, before the temperature drops to 8 degrees on Sunday. And Christmas?

Well, currently the forecast suggests more rain than snow over the mountains on December 25 – but all that could change…

And if it does, prepare yourself for traffic jams from Kakopetria upwards, bonnet snowmen, and kids trying to sled in 1cm of snow!

Because there’s nothing most of Cyprus loves more than getting in on a white Christmas!

WEEKEND TIPS

• Keep an eye on the Troodos webcams – hope springs eternal, even if the snow doesn’t.

• Plan your outdoor time early – sunshine now, showers later is the weekend’s quiet plot twist.

• Mountain-bound? Pack layers, not expectations – cool air, changing moods, classic December Troodos.

• Sunday looks softer than it sounds – a little rain, a lot of calm, perfect kafeneion weather.

• If snow does fall… leave early or don’t go at all – snow traffic waits for no one!