Schools in northeastern Bulgaria will remain closed due to the arctic temperatures and heavy snowfall in the region accumulated over the past few days, Bulgarian media reported on January 25 2010.

Classes will be suspended in Dobrich, Tervel, Balchik and Dobrika until January 27, reports say. Temperatures early on January 24 in northeastern Bulgarian plummeted to -24C, the Bulgarian news agency (BTA) said, while Gabrovo was at -18C. Sofia registered -13C in the morning and will remain at about -5C throughout the day.

The Shipka pass in Stara Planina is passable as the road has been covered in grit and snow has been cleared. In some areas of Silistra municipality, however, the situation is only "gradually becoming under control". Most roads are cleared and covered in grit but the Bogorovo-Kainardja section on the Silistra-Dobrich road for the moment remains closed.

The weather will remain cold and crispy on January 25, although predominantly sunny. Temperatures in the country will vary between -20C and -4C, the Bulgarian Meteorological service reported on its website.

Moderate northerly winds will prevail for most of the day; the coldest area in the country will once again be the northeast.

Conditions on most mountains will be sunny and visibility will be good, with temperatures reaching -10C at 1200m and about -12C at 2000m.

Along the Black Sea coast it will be sunny but very cold with temparatures of between -7C and -12C, with prevailing northerly winds