Winter could arrive early in Hungary, and it may even snow in just a few days

Increasingly cold air is moving into Hungary from the north-northeast, and by early next week, daytime highs could remain below 10°C in many places. Snow may even fall at higher elevations in the eastern part of the North Hungarian Mountains, meteorologist László Molnár told 24.hu.

The change could begin on Thursday, October 29. A high-pressure system stretching from the British Isles to central Russia is directing increasingly cold air into the region from the north-northeast.

Late-November Cold Could Arrive Early

Behind the change is the weakening and expected eventual collapse of the polar vortex. According to current calculations, the process could be completed around November 3–4, much earlier than usual and at an unusually rapid pace. The milder westerly airflow that has prevailed so far could give way to colder northerly winds.

From early next week, daytime highs could remain below 10°C across many areas. If precipitation occurs, snow could fall at higher elevations in the eastern part of the North Hungarian Mountains.

According to László Molnár, this would be considerably colder than usual for this time of year, with the expected temperatures more typical of late November. However, it remains uncertain where precipitation will occur and how much will fall. Snow is not expected in lowland areas.

The situation is similar to the weather in late September and early October, when warmer days and cold, occasionally frosty nights prevailed instead of northerly airflows. This time, however, significantly colder air is arriving from Siberia. According to longer-range forecasts, the northerly to northeasterly airflow is expected to persist.