Winter tourism spots embrace first snowfall of season

BURSA

The season's inaugural snowfall has graced Uludağ and Kartalkaya, the country’s prominent winter tourism destinations, sector representatives have reported the commencement of the influx of initial visitors to the ski resorts.

In Uludağ in the northwestern province of Bursa, rain on Nov. 16 transitioned into snowfall during the early morning hours, as the temperature plummeted to 1 degree Celsius. While precipitation persisted in the form of mixed rain and snow, meteorological authorities indicated that the season's first substantial snowfall is anticipated on Nov. 19. They also forecasted that the temperature will drop to as low as minus 5 degrees.

With the advent of the first snowfall in Uludağ, the tourism season has also kicked off, seizing the opportunity presented by the school's nine-day mid-term break, prompting holidaymakers to flock to the region.

Long queues formed at the base of the chairlift, and vacationers revealed in the joy of the freshly fallen snow.

Fatma Özdemir, expressing her excitement during her first visit to Uludağ with her spouse, remarked, "We played snowballs with my husband. It's my first time in Uludağ. It's beautiful. I am very excited. In [southwestern province of] Muğla, where snowfall is rare, it is very valuable for us."

Sema Gençoğlu, who came to Uludağ from Muğla with her family, stated, "We came to Bursa years ago, but experiencing the first day of snow is wonderful."

Serkan Aksoy, celebrating their wedding anniversary by coming from Istanbul to Bursa, said, "We came to see the city center, but when we heard that it was snowing, we went up to Uludağ."

In another center, the northern province of Bolu, with the drop in temperature, rain in the high-altitude areas of the city gave way to snowfall. At Kartalkaya ski resort, located at an altitude of 2,200 meters on the summit of Köroğlu Mountains, the temperature dropped below zero. The rain here turned into snow, and the temperature was measured at minus 3 degrees. Ski slopes and green areas were covered with snow.

In Uludağ, where the start of the ski season is expected in mid-December depending on snowfall, last year's first snowfall occurred on Sept. 22 and lasted only five minutes. Uludağ hosted 887,200 people last year between Jan. 1 and Feb. 11, the peak season of winter tourism.

In 2022, ski resorts used artificial snow to keep the tracks open due to temperatures above the seasonal norms and a lack of snowfall.

Especially in the ski resorts of Uludağ, Kartalkaya and Erciyes in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri, artificial snow production reached a record level to increase the snow depth.