Alert for a new and strong wind this Carnival Saturday

BarcelonaThe weather continues its relentless march, and after Thursday's strong winds, a front swept through Friday, bringing a gray and rainy day to much of the country, with more snow on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees. These are the effects of the new storm. OrianaStarting tonight and continuing into Saturday, a new storm with strong winds will bring a significant increase to many regions, this time with the mistral and tramontana winds. The strongest gusts are expected in the Ebro Valley, the Camp de Tarragona region, Castellón, the Empordà, and the Pyrenees peaks, where blizzard conditions are possible. The wind will be felt across much of the country, including the Barcelona area, although not nearly as intensely as Thursday's storm in that region. This wind will affect Carnival parades in several municipalities, while on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, the main news will be snowfall. Civil Protection has activated its Ventcat plan, and Meteocat has issued strong wind warnings for many regions. Aemet has even activated a red alert in Castellón, where locally hurricane-force winds exceeding 140 km/h are possible.

This comes after light to moderate rain fell across much of the country on Friday. The heaviest rainfall was recorded along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona, ​​Camp de Tarragona, Ponent, Central Catalonia, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the southern slopes of the Pyrenees. In many of these areas, rainfall exceeded 10 or 15 liters per square meter, with some areas reporting even higher amounts. Notable rainfall totals include 29 liters per square meter in Ulldemolins (Priorat) and 26 liters per square meter in Vilanova de Meià and Os de Balaguer (Noguera).

Saturday: strong wind and snow in the Pyrenees

The weekend will begin with another gale. Starting Friday night, the mistral and tramontana winds will gain strength in the far reaches of the country, and on Saturday they will affect many regions. The strongest gusts are expected in the Terres de l'Ebre, the Camp de Tarragona, Castellón, the Costa Brava, and the Pyrenees peaks. In these areas, winds will exceed 100 km/h and very locally reach 120 km/h, with rough seas along the coast and very adverse conditions in the high mountains, where there will be strong winds, blizzards, snow, and freezing temperatures. Therefore, the strongest winds are expected in areas more accustomed to these events, unlike what happened on Thursday. However, the gusts will be violent and could cause damage. The Ebre and Castellón regions will bear the brunt of the storm.

But the wind will blow in many other regions, especially in the Ponent, the central and southern parts of the Barcelona area, and southern Central Catalonia. However, the strong gusts of wind expected on Thursday are nowhere near those anticipated along the Barcelona coast and pre-coastal areas. Therefore, the Carnival parades planned in many municipalities may be affected by the wind, particularly in the areas most impacted by the storm. Temperatures will rise overall, but will drop in the Pyrenees.

All of this will be accompanied by sunshine in most regions. The exception will be the northern slopes of the Pyrenees and the northernmost reaches of the rest of the mountain range, where snowfall is expected, gradually descending from the initial 1,000 meters to 600 meters. In the Vall d'Aran and surrounding areas, snow depths of more than 20 cm could accumulate throughout the event above 1,300 m, as warned by Meteocat.

Sunday: more calm

The weather will be calmer and more enjoyable on Sunday. We can expect a final day of the weekend with significantly less wind, although it won't disappear completely from the far reaches of the country. There will be a fair amount of sunshine, combined with some traces of high, thin clouds. Only remnants of cloud cover and a few light showers will remain on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, where temperatures and the snow level will rise. The snow level will be between 1,600 and 1,800 meters. In contrast, in the rest of the country, temperatures will remain similar, or even drop slightly. Minimum temperatures will reach their lowest point, and the early morning will be colder and more wintry, with frost in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, nearby areas, and other mountain regions. You'll need to dress warmly if you leave home early. Next week will be calmer.

A new front will move through on Monday, bringing more wind and snow to the Pyrenees. But overall, next week will be calmer due to the approach of a high-pressure system. Sunshine and calm weather will prevail, although some fronts will brush past the Pyrenees. Temperatures will rise slightly, and middays will be milder.