The snow creates picture-postcard scenes in the interior of Catalonia

BarcelonaThe first Three Kings' Day gift arrived early this year in the form of snowfall in Catalonia, and many children took to the streets to play in anticipation of the parade on Monday afternoon. The first snowflakes began to fall on Sunday night in the western regions and on the Segarra plateau, but it was during the early hours of Monday morning that the snow spread and intensified, reaching Central Catalonia and accumulating in the areas where it snowed most heavily. The forecast indicates that this picture-postcard landscape will continue for the next few hours thanks to the low temperatures, which will keep the snow on the ground.

However, during the early morning hours, the snow struggled to accumulate because the previous rain made it more difficult for it to settle on the ground. Nevertheless, snow accumulations were finally observed across much of the western region, central Catalonia, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the interior of the Camp de Tarragona. The drop in temperature during the morning helped the snow settle quickly across all surfaces, with temperatures reaching as low as -4.5 °C in Panadella (Anoia), at an altitude of just 785 meters, and -3.7 °C in Santa Coloma de Queralt, in the high-altitude Conca region. Among the most significant accumulations were 12 centimeters in Sant Martí de Tous, in Anoia; 10 centimeters in Rocallaura, in Urgell; and 5 centimeters in Granadella (Garrigues) and Maials (Segrià). However, in many cases, snow depths have ranged between 1 and 4 centimeters, a minor accumulation that has affected unusual areas, where in most cases it had been at least five years since a snowfall of this magnitude had occurred. Snow has also been seen at sea level in municipalities of the Costa Daurada such as Cambrils, Salou, and the city of Tarragona itself, although in these cases the low intensity of precipitation and the lack of sub-zero temperatures prevented the snow from settling on the ground. Snow has also appeared on iconic mountains such as Montserrat, La Mola, and Montseny, where there has been a whitewash, and snowflakes have also been seen in parts of the coastal mountain range such as Begues and Tibidabo.

Civil Protection has maintained its Neucat and Procicat plans on alert due to intense cold, as the temperature drop beginning this Monday will culminate in widespread and severe frosts during the early mornings of Three Kings' Day and Wednesday. This is a worrying situation because areas that have seen snow will now see it turn to ice, with very low temperatures. The snowfall has not caused any serious incidents so far, according to the Deputy Director of Operations for Civil Protection, Imma Solé, who urged caution when traveling due to the frost that the cold can cause.

Roads that need chains

The snow is not causing any major traffic or rail disruptions, but the episode has forced the closure of some roads, and snow chains were mandatory at various points on the inland road network this morning. The C-14 highway was closed between Solivella (Conca de Barberà) and Ciutadilla (Urgell) this morning. Also closed in the Barcelona area are the B-221 in Montmaneu and the BV-2204 in Santa Margarida de Montbui.

Aside from the use of snow chains, which were no longer necessary in the afternoon, traffic was disrupted this morning on the AP-2 motorway towards Barcelona due to an accident near Vimbodí, which caused more than three kilometers of traffic jams. Meanwhile, in Cervera, where the road was already covered in snow, two vehicles collided on the A-2, and one ran off the road. Both drivers escaped injury, but the incident affected traffic. Both the A-2 and the C-25 had sections affected by snow or ice on the road, which complicated traffic throughout the morning.

Given this unusual episode of snowfall, the head of the Civil Protection duty team, Xavier Masramon, warned early this morning that the snowfall would intensify during the morning and that minimum temperatures would arrive at the end of the day. Masramon recommended checking stoves and boilers to avoid incidents and asked the public to be especially cautious when traveling this afternoon to attend the Three Kings' Day parades. Civil Protection also advises checking weather and traffic conditions before traveling and carrying appropriate equipment in the vehicle—a full tank of fuel, snow chains, and a charged mobile phone—in case of any problems. Extra precautions will be necessary from the afternoon onwards because the water and snow on the roads will turn into ice with the widespread and intense frosts expected throughout the interior of the country.