Winter has made its opening move in Croatia. On 3 November 2026, the season's first proper snowfall settled across the country's highest ground, with around 20 centimetres piling up in Begovo Razdolje, the highest permanently inhabited settlement in the country at 1,078 metres above sea level.

The white stuff wasn't limited to one spot. Zavižan, the well-known mountain station in the Northern Velebit range, recorded around 12 centimetres, and snow also fell on Platak near Rijeka and across Gorski Kotar, the rugged highland region that sits between the coast and the interior.

For the roughly two dozen people who live in Begovo Razdolje year-round, none of this came as a shock. Shovels came out, driveways got cleared, and life carried on. Eighty-two-year-old Franjo Štritof told Nova TV that the digging counts as recreation for him — a bit of exercise and fresh air. Farm owner Bojan Francišković summed up the mood: everyone chooses whether this life suits them, but he reckons it's a good one.

Temperatures hovered around three degrees during the day, so snow mixed with rain at times, with drier snow falling overnight. And here's the key detail for anyone eyeing an early-season mountain trip: this first snow is not expected to last. Locals say a white dusting usually arrives in mid-October, lingers a day or two, and then the weather settles back into a pleasant autumn. That's exactly what's forecast this time — the snow should be gone by the weekend.

So why should a traveller care? It's an early signal that Croatia's mountain country is heading into its winter season, and that places like Gorski Kotar are worth thinking about beyond the usual Dalmatian coast itinerary. This is a part of Croatia most visitors never see: dense forests, lynx country, small highland villages and a climate that feels more alpine than Mediterranean. It's also handy practical intel if you're planning a late-autumn drive from the coast toward Zagreb or inland — Gorski Kotar sits on that route, and conditions up there can flip quickly in November even when Rijeka is still mild.

If you like your winter trips before the ski-lift crowds, the window between these first dustings and the deeper December snow can be a lovely, quiet time in the highlands — just pack for cold and expect changeable weather rather than a permanent white cover this early.