Spring takes a step back, with colder weather, wind, and snow in the Pyrenees

BarcelonaAfter temperatures peaked yesterday, with a very mild midday that saw highs above 20°C in several regions, the weather will change dramatically today. The passage of a cold front has brought in cold air, and temperatures have already dropped significantly in the last few hours. It's time to bundle up considerably this morning, and the drop in highs will be noticeable and severe at midday as well. Furthermore, strong winds are expected throughout Thursday in the country's extremes. During the early hours, gusts exceeded 100 km/h in some areas, with notable figures such as 142 km/h in Portbou, 119 km/h at the Darnius-Boadella reservoir (Alt Empordà), 120 km/h in El Perelló (Baix Ebre), and 115 km/h at Tosa d'Alp. Pay attention to the higher elevations of the Pyrenees, as blizzards and freezing temperatures are expected. It will snow lightly on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, starting at just 600 or 800 meters. Elsewhere it will be sunny, although there were a few isolated showers last night along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona, ​​which didn't even accumulate a liter per square meter. Temperatures will remain mild and below average for the rest of the week. Therefore, spring will take a step back and winter will bare its claws for the last time, just as we find ourselves on the cusp of Easter.

Winds and a clear drop in temperatures

The change in weather will solidify this Thursday, with strong mistral and tramontana winds affecting the Tarragona, Ponent, and Empordà regions, as well as the Pyrenean peaks. Conditions will be very adverse in the high Pyrenees, with strong winds, blizzard conditions, freezing temperatures, and snow. The sea conditions along the Costa Brava will be very rough. Meteocat has issued alerts for gusts that could exceed 90 km/h in these areas, and locally reach 100 km/h, especially in the high mountains. There are also warnings for high waves along the Costa Brava.

In addition, there will be intermittent, light snowfall on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees at virtually all elevations. A light snowfall that occurred during the early morning hours will pause during the day and could resume slightly tonight and into the early hours of Friday. Skies will be somewhat more variable throughout the day between Girona and Barcelona, ​​but sunshine will prevail in the vast majority of the surrounding areas.

In addition, the sky will be overcast with some showers expected in Mallorca and Menorca. We'll wake up to noticeably colder weather everywhere, with maximum temperatures falling significantly across the country, particularly in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and other areas of the northern half of the country. Many areas will see highs between 13 and 17 °C, but significantly lower temperatures in mountainous regions, especially at higher elevations in the Pyrenees, where temperatures will remain below freezing throughout the day.

Thermometers at a steady pace to start Holy Week

Temperatures will rise slightly between Friday and Saturday, but will remain subdued and below the usual average for this time of year. Therefore, we will officially begin Holy Week with a touch of mildness, with northerly winds at the extremes and plenty of sunshine overall. The core of the anticyclone will move from the Azores towards the British Isles, maintaining the corridor of northerly winds towards our region. This will ensure a continued influx of cold air from Central Europe. Furthermore, between Saturday and Palm Sunday, a new cold front will arrive, bringing more snow to the Pyrenees, especially on the northern slopes, with the snow level remaining well below 1,000 meters. Therefore, it's advisable to have your vehicle properly equipped this weekend if you're heading to the Pyrenees, just in case. The northerly winds will also strengthen, affecting more areas this time, with blizzard conditions expected in the Pyrenees. A situation that we will need to refine in future forecasts.

However, it seems that next week the temperature will start to rise, and we could begin April with a much milder atmosphere, just in time to welcome the key days of Easter, holidays for many people.