​In recent years, almost every Easter, the temperature in the country exceeded 25 degrees, the maximum two years ago was 32 degrees. Only once every few decades, when a wave of polar air arrives in April, Easter can be like Christmas used to be! It was 1996, when the snow layer was 11 cm in Bucharest and 44 cm in Brasov.

Why is there a minimal chance of snow everywhere on Easter

In 1996, Easter fell on the 14th of April and, quite unusually, snow fell almost all over the country, with a significant layer falling especially on the second day of Easter (Monday 15th). The snow layer remained on the plains on the third day of Easter, and at an altitude of 1,000 meters – until May.

Orthodox Easter can fall no earlier than April 4 and no later than May 8. If Easter is after April 20, the chance of snow is extremely low, but sometimes Easter comes earlier in April and, at least in theory, there is a chance of snow in some low-elevation places.

The fastest Easter in a decade was on 8 April 2018, but that April was the warmest on record and not only was there no snow anywhere, but almost everywhere the temperature was positive at night, with highs of 26 degrees on Easter Day.

It’s hard for such a big coincidence to happen, so in the rare years when there is a lot of snow in April, it happens right around Easter.

But that was 27 years ago.

1996 is the year that Emil Constantinescu became president, the year that Dacia Felix and Credit Bank went bankrupt, and the year that Michael Jackson held his second concert in Romania (the first was in 1992).

But 1996 was also unusual because it brought several consecutive days with a layer of snow in mid-April: seven in Brasov, two in Sibiu, four in Campina, three in Bucharest and four in Bacău.

1996, an Easter we only see once every few decades

In mid-April 1996, there was 44 cm of snow in Brasov, followed by 33 cm in Campina, 16 cm in Sibiu, 11 cm in Bucharest and 21 cm in Bacau. The last time it snowed in April was in 2003 (2 cm on April 8).

On April 16, a record amount of snow cover was established in many places: Bucharest, Urzichen, Turnu-Magurele, Alexandria, Videle, Beche, Caracal and Deva. It also snowed in Krishan on the 16th.

In 1996, on April 15, the day after Easter, snow fell in most of the country. In Bucharest, from April 15 to 18, the minimum was below 1 degree, and on April 25, the temperature was typical for summer (26 degrees and 29 degrees two days later).

In Predyal, there was 28 cm on Easter, 73 cm on the second day, and 91 cm on the third. The snow layer completely melted only 11 days after Easter. There was a permanent layer of snow in Predial on Easter of the following year, 1997, when on April 27 the snow layer was 65 cm and completely melted on May 5.

In Sinai, the 1500 level was covered with snow all month, with a maximum of 116 cm on the 16th.

Peltinish Ski Resort, near Sibiu, had over 50cm at Easter, with snowpacks holding up to 26. By Easter 1997, snowpacks had reached 72cm, although we’re talking about April 27th, so after mid-spring. On May 1, there was 52 cm, the snow will last until May 6.