January 2019 snowstorms over the Balkan Peninsula

Abstract Two January 2019 snowstorms brought widespread snowfall to the Balkan Peninsula and unusually deep snow at low elevations in northern Greece. Station reports, satellite imagery and ERA5 reanalysis data are combined to describe the storms and diagnose why the specific regions experienced local snowfall maxima. Sustained moist flow aloft, organised near‐surface winds and topography favoured precipitation enhancement near the Strymonian Gulf in northern Greece, while cold air trapped in valleys helped snow persist during the second storm. A comparison with ERA5 snowfall shows coherent regional differences, supporting cautious use of reanalysis snowfall in complex terrain.