The Balkans: a hazy prospect

A great disappointment awaited tourists hoping to enjoy the spring ski slopes in the Balkans. April presented them with several unpleasant surprises at once: at first, the air temperature in the mountains sharply increased, reaching a record 30 degrees.  Because of this, the snow on the tracks became loose and wet, which increased the avalanche danger. Then a hurricane-force wind brought the lifts to a standstill. The National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) of Bulgaria even introduced an orange hazard code on this occasion, and the country's Mountain Rescue Service (GSS) did not recommend climbing to the mountain ranges. 

And the yellow fog that covered the Balkans in the early days of the month was completely unexpected. It is the deserts of North Africa that are reminded of themselves by sand dust. In some regions, the concentration of sand was 200-300 micrograms per cubic meter, which led to a decrease in visibility to critical levels. 

In general, the ski season 2023-2024 was problematic precisely because of the abnormally warm winter. Some international competitions in Bulgaria, Slovenia and Croatia had to be suspended or even cancelled. It seems that in the near future the Balkan countries will have to develop not winter, but summer tourism in the mountains.