San Esteban with a severe easterly storm and snow in the eastern Pyrenees

BarcelonaThe easterly winds have intensified during the early hours, with rain now covering a large part of the territory and leaving some initial rainfall totals above 100 l/m².² (You will find more details at the end of this report). Christmas Day was marked by snowfall at fairly low elevations, but this Friday we will be talking about a much higher snow level.

The accumulated precipitation amounts throughout the event will be very heavy in the northeast, so the Meteorological Service of Catalonia has issued warnings for accumulations of more than 100 l/m² in 24 hours and snow warnings, and Civil Protection has activated the Inuncat plan alert. There are several warnings for accumulated rain, snow, and adverse maritime conditions:

San Esteban with more rain, snow and severe sea conditions on the Costa Brava

The heaviest rainfall is expected throughout the San Esteban holiday. Rain is possible anywhere, but especially in the northeast and northern Catalonia, where total rainfall will be very heavy. Over the course of this event, rainfall could exceed 150 or 200 liters per square meter in these areas. The weather will be calmer in the Balearic Islands, with some showers and cloud cover, and no rain in the Valencian Community. Significant snowfall is expected in the high elevations of the eastern Pyrenees, between 1,400 and 1,600 meters. In the eastern Pyrenees, over the course of this event, more than 60 or 70 centimeters of new snow will accumulate in the Ter-Freser valley, the Pre-Pyrenees, and on the northern slopes of the Cadí-Moixeró range. The avalanche risk will increase, and extreme caution is advised for those planning winter mountaineering. degree of danger It will be marked (3 out of 5) throughout the Pyrenees, and with the snowfall the forecast is that it will rise to 4 (strong) in uncontrolled areas, with problems related to recent snow and wind slabs.

The storm surge will reach the Costa Brava, with waves up to 6 meters high. Stay away from breakwaters, jetties, and areas where waves are breaking due to the danger posed by the impact of the large waves. Temperatures will recover thanks to the mild sea breeze, with highs rising to 14 or 15 °C on the coast.

Saturday: the storm refuses to let up

On Saturday, heavy rainfall will continue in some areas, especially along the coast and in the eastern half of the country, where locally rainfall will again exceed 50 or 100 liters per square meter. A maritime storm will gradually weaken, but will still be significant along the coast. Rain will also affect the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, as the low-pressure system moves south across the peninsula and into northern Morocco. All of this will be accompanied by continued heavy snowfall in the eastern Pyrenees, with accumulations exceeding one to one and a half meters in this part of the mountain range.

Provisional balance of the storm

The easterly winds, which began on Christmas Day, have brought rainfall totals that, by early morning on Sant Esteve (St. Stephen's Day), were already approaching or exceeding 90 or 100 liters per square meter in some parts of the country, such as Cantonigròs (131 l/m²), Molló (100 l/m²), and Darniu (80 l/m²). The rain has affected the entire country, although totals have generally ranged between 15 and 40 l/m² in the eastern half and between 1 liter and 5-10 l/m² in the western Pyrenees. This precipitation, which has fallen as snow at mid and high elevations in the Pyrenees, where it has already accumulated significantly, is accompanied by waves that reached 9.75 meters at the Begur headland buoy.