Preliminary data from the National Observatory of Athens (meteo.gr) confirm that the winter of 2025–2026 was one of the warmest on record for Greece, with average temperatures second only to those observed since 1960.
While the winter of 2023–2024 remains the warmest on record, the most recent winter—from December 2025 to February 2026—closely follows it, with relatively few periods of typical seasonal cold.
The season was defined by a persistent heat anomaly: 86% of the winter days saw temperatures well above the 1991–2020 average, with cold spells limited to just a brief window in early and mid-January. This follows a concerning trend: four of the six warmest winters in Greek history have occurred in the last six years alone, contributing to an overall rise in average winter temperatures of 1.8°C since 1960.
Wet winter, but a lack of snow
While the season was not dry—actually ranking as one of the wettest on record—the sustained warmth meant that precipitation fell primarily as rain rather than snow. This lack of mountain snowfall has had clear consequences, negatively impacting both ski tourism and essential water storage for the region.
In January, severe weather left two dead, as torrential rain and gale-force winds swept across much of Greece, with the Athens metropolitan area at the epicenter of the storm.
A 56-year-old woman lost her life in Ano Glyfada after being swept away by floodwaters, while a 53-year-old Coast Guard officer died in the line of duty in Astros Kynouria after being struck by a massive wave. The extreme conditions have resulted in widespread flooding, transportation shutdowns, and hundreds of emergency calls to fire departments.