Croatia's capital city Zagreb reached a not unpleasant high temperature of 14 degrees on Wednesday 14 of November. But those who have been enjoying the warm, sunny afternoons may have to say goodbye to them for quite a while. The first widespread snows of winter have been predicted to arrive in Europe as early as next week.
Cold winds from the east are expected to bring the first seasonal snowfalls to the continent within the next seven days. Snowfall could occur in Croatia as early as Sunday, but is more likely to take place on Tuesday or Wednesday. This will not be a localised stint of weather; the cold air will cover all of continental Croatia. Nor will it be a temporary freeze. It has been predicted that by the end of November, much of Europe will have experienced significant snowfall, as the cold winds from the east are set to be joined by a displaced Polar vortex stretching down across northern Europe during the second half of of the month, delivering extremely cold air.
It's not all bad news though. The month of December brings the start of Advent season in Croatia, not least in the capital city of Zagreb. You might have to swap your sneakers for boots and invest in some gloves, but there are few prettier backdrops for wandering round the Christmas lights and markets than having the rooftops and trees branches covered in white.