Goodbye to the strong wind and snow tomorrow: the weekend will end calmly

BarcelonaWind and snow continued to be the main features of Saturday's weather. The strongest winds were concentrated in the south of the country, in high-altitude areas and in the northern Empordà region, with blizzard conditions and very adverse weather at the higher elevations of the Pyrenees. Most gusts in these areas ranged between 70 and 90 km/h, but locally exceeded 100 km/h. 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 a summary and images of the wind and snow storm at the end of this report). Caution is advised due to the high risk of avalanches in the Pyrenees, which is severe (level 4 out of 5) in the Aran Valley and the northern Pallaresa region. This situation will persist until late into the night, but will be over by Sunday, and calm will prevail. The effects of the storm Goretti They will move away and a pleasant Sunday awaits us everywhere, with colder mornings and better weather at midday.

Sunday: Calm returns

The wind will continue to blow with strong gusts in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees peaks, in the south, and in the Empordà region until the early hours of the morning. Snow will also persist in the Pyrenees, though much lighter and concentrated on the northern slopes. Meteocat weather warnings for strong winds remain in effect tonight and into the early hours of the morning in Pyrenean regions.

But by Sunday, all that will be over, and we can expect a generally calm and radiant day. The sun will dominate, and the rain will disappear from the Pyrenees. The windstorm will also cease completely. A day to enjoy, with some fog inland and lingering cloud cover in the north. Therefore, the instability and the colder air mass will dissipate.

It will get colder at night, with minimum temperatures reaching their lowest point. Frost is expected in the Pyrenees, Pre-Pyrenees, other mountain areas, and inland locations, especially in the northern half of the country. Warm clothing will be necessary early in the morning. Maximum temperatures will rise significantly in the Pyrenees and other mountain areas following the recent storm, but will remain similar elsewhere. Many temperatures are expected to reach 10 to 15 °C.

A calm and pleasant start to the week.

The first few days of next week will be marked by calm weather. 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, with 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 was marked by very adverse weather in the high mountains. The most extensive snowfall occurred during the early hours of Saturday morning, and snow chains were mandatory on several roads. These are some of the most significant snow depths recorded:

• 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 brought many gusts of between 60 and 90 km/h to many regions, but at higher elevations they 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)