Does it snow in Rome? All you need to know about the chances of snow when visiting Rome in winter, how it can affect your stay, how to plan for it .
If you are planning a trip to Rome in the winter, you may wonder if you should pack for snow.
Your doubt is legitimate.
While Rome’s location suggests snow is a non issue in the Eternal City, photos of the Roman Forum and the Colosseum covered in a blanket of snow are all over the web and they are not photoshopped.
Indeed, sometimes it does snow in Rome.
However, snow in Rome is rare, actually: very rare. The photos are taken as a memento of something unusual and, if you look carefully, you’ll notice in most cases it is only a handful of photos that does the rounds, they are not a document of the city’s standard winter appearance.
I know this well. I adore snow and every year I have a secret wish in my heart that snow will make an appearance and I can be a kid for a day again and go wild with photos and snowmen.
A wish most of the times disappointed!
Weather patterns are so unpredictable lately that it is impossible to give an accurate prediction about whether it will snow in Rome during your stay.
However, based on personal experience of over forty winters in the city and current weather predictions, it is possible to give you an idea of what to expect in terms of snow in Rome, in the coldest months of the year.
In this article, you will find all you need to know about snow in Rome, including how common it is and how it can affect your stay.
Does it snow in Rome? TL;DR
Snow is exceptionally rare in Rome. The very few times when it has showed in Rome, it has been a short lived, exceptional event, sometimes as limited in duration and impact, the few flakes have disappeared in a matter of hours and never even fully set on the grounds.
While you can never exclude sudden, unusual and rare weather events, standard winters in Rome do not bring snow to the city.
How often does it snow in Rome?
Snow is very rare occurrence in Rome.
In the last twenty years, it only snowed seven times and only handful of those brought more than a light dusting.
1956 – The snowfall of 1956 in Rome is historical as it brought to Rome a proper blanket of snow that covered the city for several days.
The even was so special and unexpected, several songs remember it: that’s how unique an event it was!
1985 – Ask any Roman who was little in the Eighties (like me!) and they will sure remember the snowfall of 1985.
It was the morning of the 6th of January and kids from all over the city woke up in a state of excitement for the arrival of La Befana, the magical visitor who bring sweets to kids on the occasion of the Epiphany, celebrated that day.
Even before we could get to the sweets however, we also had out jaws dropping when we looked out of the window to find the city entirely covered with snow!
The snowfall has been heavy and the city stayed covered in a thick blanket of snow for days, becoming a large playground for snowball fights and snowmen making!
2012 – Another heavy snowfall covered Rome in white flakes in February 2012.
The snow reached a height of 20 cm and blocked the city for couple of days, for the delight of kids who saw closed schools and endless opportunities for snow games and photographers, who went photo crazy to document the event.
2018 – Many of the photos of snowy Rome you see online today are from February 2018.
Throughout one night and one morning, a decent snowfall covered the city and gave a dusting of powdery flakes to the Colosseum and Rome’s main attractions.
Despite the beauty of the moment, the snow only lasted a few hours and quickly melted into mucky, freezing water.
As you can see from the list above, snow is not unseen in Rome but stays a pretty special, unique event.
The most likely months for snow in Rome are January and February.
Will it snow in Rome in 2025?
The latest weather trends suggest there is no reason to expect snow on the city of Rome in 2025, due to a combination of temperatures rising and rainfall diminishing.
Since, however, weather is always unpredictable to an extent, you can check the forecast on the local website: Il Meteo (forecast up to 14 days, but only usually reliable for the following 48/ 72 hours. )
What happens in Rome when it snows + tips for handling snow in Rome
While snow is very unlikely to affect your trip, it is handy to know what to expect form the city in the unlikely event of a snow day.
Snow in Rome is a rare event and this has consequences on the ability of the city to deal with it.
Need to know: should Rome experience more than a dusting of snow, like it did in 1985, you’ll find yourself dealing with an exceptional weather event. It would be therefore paramount to follow local news for updates and effects on the city.
Rome is not able to deal efficiently with snow and even a small amount of it has heavy consequences on traffic and mobility.
On a snow day, even if it just a dusting of snow, it is possible things will close down due to safety concerns and slippery surfaces.
Bus transport is likely to be severely affected and those running are likely to be busier than usual.
Decisions made around how to handle the snow will be erratic and inconsistent, therefore flexibility is key.
The best way to deal with snow in Rome, should you be in town when it comes, is to try to relax and go with the flow.
Tourist attractions may or may not close, depending on how heavy the snowfall is.
If you have bookings, check official sites and social media channels of each attraction you had planned on visiting to check how they are affected. If you have a tour planned, make contact with your tour operator: be advise that they may themselves have to wait for official decisions and may therefore not have answers straight away.
Expect traffic to be crazy: this may affect the speed at which you get anywhere, how busy buses are and your ability to get a taxi. Patience is key.
Be very careful on slippery surfaces such as cobbled: take your time or wait indoors for things to get better if you have any concerns about your stability. Rome is not equipped with salt machines etc as usually snow is a non issue so don’t expect great city interventions: usually the issue resolves itself as the weather returns to a normal patterns.
In all cases, make sure you take plenty of time to go even short distances and budget extra time and patience if you need to catch a cab.
What to pack for snow in Rome
You do not need to pack for snow in Rome.
Even in the case of heavy snowfall, you are usually able to handle the streets of Rome with a warm coat, scarf, hat and good walking boots.
If you can, in winter I recommend you opt for boots that are waterproof and with a good rubber sole.
These are good in case of snow but they are also the best type of shoes to have in Rome in winter for sightseeing in the rain or on very cold days.
To help you plan your winter packing, I have prepared a winter packing list for Rome.
It has all you need to pack for the Eternal City and dress code tips that can be useful to visit churches and archaeological sites especially.
The most spectacular places for a snowy day in Rome
Rome is a large, sprawling city and snow will affect different parts of it in different ways. If the snowfall happens in the city center, you can make the most of it and take spectacular photos of the event.
Some of the best places to take snowy photos of Rome are:
The back of the Capitoline Hill – if the stairs to Piazza del Campidoglio are clear and non slippery, make your way up and then head to the back of the square for stunning view of the Roman Forum (free) one of the best viewpoints in Rome.
The top of the Oppian Hill – the option hill is in front of the Colosseum and one of the best places to catch a view of the amphitheatre on a snowy day! This is one of the best photos spots in Rome.
Piazza Navona – flat, large and spectacular, Piazza Navona is a sight to behold when covered in snow.
Lungotevere – Lungotevere is the name of the long roads that follow the meandering journey of the river Tiber. Head here to catch beautiful views of Tiberina Island and some of the most beautiful bridges in Rome.
St Peters’ Square – The Vatican is stunning covered in snow. St peter’s square is flat and should stay easy to access even under snow. If you have access to Villa Doria Pamphili, you can instead catch beautiful views of its dome.
I hope you fond this quick overview of snow in Rome and how to deal with it useful. Safe travel planning!
This post was published in 2021 and has now been fully updated with current forecast and data in 2024.