Will it rain during Holy Week? Here's what the maps say.
The general perception is that we should keep an eye on the sky during these dates.
BarcelonaWe're right on the cusp of Holy Week, and at times like this, weather forecasting becomes more important than ever, as many people have vacation days. The big question is: Will it rain on the key days of Holy Week? Will the weather affect our plans? The general perception among most people is that it always rains during Holy Week, at least some days. But is that really the case?
If we look back over recent years, we've had a bit of everything. Last year, we had very changeable weather. We had a fairly placid start to the key days of Holy Week, but during the second half of the holidays, showers reappeared in many places. Back then, we were right at the beginning of the break in the drought dynamic and on the cusp of a rainy period in our country. Therefore, and taking into account the low rainfall until then, Holy Week in 2022 and 2023—the worst of the drought—hardly saw any rain, and sun or calm dominated. Thus, we are coming off a few years in which the weather during Holy Week is not entirely representative, as it has been very marked by the historic drought.
But we must keep in mind that spring is one of the rainiest seasons, with changeable and highly variable weather. Therefore, it's normal for it to rain at some point during the week and a half that Holy Week lasts. Thus, we could say that most people's perception that it rains during Holy Week is quite valid and real.
What do the weather maps say about this Holy Week?
This year, Holy Week got off to a busy start. From Palm Sunday until Wednesday, showers and thunderstorms continued in various regions, especially inland and in the Pyrenees in the afternoons. There were even some local downpours in areas such as the West, the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the northeast. Of particular note was the strong storm that fell on Tuesday in Molló, in Ripollès, where almost 70 l/m² accumulated after a spectacular hailstorm that left everything white, as if it had snowed.
The weather was very changeable and varied, completely spring-like, with temperatures that eventually dropped significantly. Snow was even seen in the Pyrenees below 1,500 m on Wednesday, and there was also dusting of snow on the peaks of Montseny. In the western Pyrenees, more than 20 cm of new snow has accumulated locally at high altitudes. Good news for ski resorts, as they face the final days of the season. All of this was caused by a pocket of cold air from the northwest Atlantic, which made Thursday morning generally quite cold, colder than expected at this time of year, with northerly gales in several regions.
But what about the weather ahead for the key Easter holidays? For now, both Thursday and Friday will be calmer and very sunny. Thursday's northerly wind will cease completely on Friday, a very pleasant day, with maximum temperatures that will clearly rise, with greater easing at midday. However, the mornings will be quite cold. High, thin cloud bands will move in throughout Friday, and the first showers could arrive from the west at night.
However, the maps indicate that instability will increase again on Saturday due to the passage of an active cold front. Showers could fall in virtually any region throughout the day, with an initial snow level of 2,000 m that will gradually drop. Therefore, it will snow again in the Pyrenees. And the weather will not be clear for Sunday and Easter Monday—the day of the mona (monk)—with variable skies and the remains of some irregular showers, especially in the north of the country. All of this will have to be closely monitored, but it will round off a very varied Holy Week with a bit of everything, a situation typical of this time of year.
It all depends on when Easter falls.
Depending on the year, Easter can fall in March or throughout April. This greatly influences the weather during this holiday period, as in March we can still experience the last throes of winter, with a colder atmosphere and a risk of snow at relatively low altitudes. Add to this the fact that the new summer timetable has already been implemented, with more sunshine in the afternoon, all of which encourages us to spend more time outdoors. Taking Good Friday as a reference, one of the key days of the holiday season and one on which many events take place across the country, the data is quite interesting. The different SMC meteorological stations typically record a total average of 250.3 l/m² across Catalonia. Therefore, generally speaking, the statistics show that the key days of this Easter fall this year on dates when the risk of rain is lower than at other times in spring. Rainy in general.
