Goodbye to the strong wind and snow: the weekend ends much more calmly
The storm of the last few hours will pass, and there will be sunshine and a cold morning that will reach its lowest point.
BarcelonaWind and snow were the main protagonists of the last few hours. The strong winds have been concentrated at the extremes and have lost intensity, with gusts not reaching 80 km/h anywhere tonight. The situation has also improved in the high Pyrenees, where conditions have been very adverse for the last two days. Throughout the storm, many gusts of between 60 and 90 km/h were recorded across the country, but locally exceeded 100 km/h in high-altitude areas. Yesterday's snowfall was widespread throughout the Pyrenees, reaching the valley floors, with significant accumulations. In fact, in some Pyrenean valleys, it was the heaviest snowfall of the season (you will find the tally and images of the wind and snow storm at the end of this report). This Sunday, all of this will be over, and calm will prevail. The effects of the storm Goretti They will move away, and we have a final day of the weekend to enjoy everywhere, with cooler mornings and somewhat calmer weather at midday. Caution is advised due to the high avalanche risk in the Pyrenees today, which is high (level 4 out of 5) in the Aran Valley and the northern Pallaresa region, and between marked and moderate in the rest of the mountain range.
Sunday: Calm returns
The last day of the weekend will be marked by stable weather. Despite some lingering, more moderate northerly winds in the morning at the outer edges of the region, the strong winds and snowfall will completely dissipate, and we can expect a generally calm and sunny day. Sunshine will prevail, with no further precipitation in the Pyrenees, while the windstorm will also come to an end. It's a day to enjoy, with some fog inland and lingering cloud cover in the north. Therefore, the instability and the colder air mass will move away.
It was colder at night, so you need to bundle up first thing this morning before leaving the house. Minimum temperatures have hit rock bottom, with widespread frost in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, other mountain areas, the entire interior of the northern half of the country, and parts of the central and northern pre-coastal and western regions. Maximum temperatures will rise significantly in the Pyrenees after the recent storm, where the change in weather will be radical compared to yesterday. Temperatures will be similar across the rest of the country, with many highs between 10 and 15 °C.
A calm and pleasant start to the week.
The first few days of next week will be calm, with sunshine interspersed with some harmless bands of clouds. Temperatures will gradually rise, with a more moderate morning chill and a more pleasant midday. By midweek, temperatures could even reach 20°C in the south of the country, slightly above average for this time of year. A strong anticyclone will prevail, bringing a temperature inversion and morning fog.
But the maps indicate that instability could increase again towards the end of the week. Between Friday and the weekend, showers will return to several regions, more snow will fall in the Pyrenees, and temperatures will drop. This scenario is still somewhat uncertain, and we will have to refine it in upcoming forecasts.
Summary of the snow and wind storm
The snowfall of the last few hours has reached the entire Pyrenees, including the southern slopes and even the valley floors, some of which have experienced the heaviest snowfall of the season so far. At higher elevations, the storm was accompanied by strong winds, blizzard conditions, and freezing temperatures. Saturday's weather was particularly adverse in the high mountains. The most extensive snowfall occurred during the early hours and morning of Saturday, and snow chains were mandatory on several roads. These are some of the most significant snow accumulations:
- 56 cm: Certascan (2,400 m)
- 50 cm: Malniu (2,200 m)
- 45 cm: Lac Redon (2.247 m)
- 42 cm: Bonabé
- 39 cm: Nuria
- 36 cm: Bonaigua (2,266 m)
- 35 cm: Sasseuva (2,228 m)
- 35 cm: Tavascan
- 30 cm: It's Edges
- 29 cm: Bagergue
- 28 cm: Esterri d'Àneu
- 24 cm: Rice
- 23 cm: Old
- 18 cm: Puigcerdà
- 18 cm: Ulldeter (2,400 m)
- 15 cm: Rain
Regarding the wind, throughout Saturday the storm lost intensity and extent, but it still persisted in the south, in the Ponent region, in the Empordà, in higher areas, and on the peaks of the Pyrenees. The strong winds of the last 48 hours have brought many gusts of between 60 and 90 km/h to many regions, but at higher elevations they have exceeded 100 km/h. These are the strongest gusts recorded between Friday and Saturday:
- 159 km/h: Portbou
- 136 km/h: Puig Sesolles (1,668 m)
- 100 km/h: Montsec d'Ares
- 96 km/h: El Perelló
- 95 km/h: Ulldemolins
- 93 km/h: Alguaire
- 88 km/h: Montserrat
- 87 km/h: Espot (2,519 m)
- 87 km/h: Núria (1,971 m)
- 82 km/h: Ulldeter (2,413 m)