Wind and snow are expected today in the Pyrenees, which will open their doors to the polar cold.

BarcelonaToday brings changes to the weather. The passage of a front will reactivate strong northerly winds in the far reaches of the country and bring more snow to the Pyrenees. In the last few hours, winds have already exceeded 100 km/h in El Perelló, in the Baix Ebre region. Today the wind will be strong, especially in the south, but between nightfall and tomorrow, gusts will be strong or very strong in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the Empordà region. This situation will pave the way for an incursion of cold air of polar origin, bringing us a more wintry atmosphere in the coming days. A drop in temperature is already noticeable today. However, the mercury will not plummet to the low levels of last week. This follows the slight temperature spike on Monday, which brought mild weather to many areas at midday. Yesterday's highest temperatures were recorded in the south of the country due to mild westerly winds, reaching 21 or 22 °C in the Terres de l'Ebre and Camp de Tarragona regions. A strong westerly wind produced gusts of over 50 km/h in some areas, with even higher readings at higher elevations. Notable gusts reached 121 km/h on Puig Sesolles, at an altitude of 1,668 meters in the Montseny mountain range.

Tuesday: wind and lower temperatures

The passage of a weather front will reactivate the strong mistral and tramontana winds. The gusts will be particularly intense in the Tarragona and southern Barcelona regions, and the first significant gusts will also be felt in the Pyrenees and the Empordà, with rough seas. This wind will also be felt moderately in other areas, such as the Barcelona area and the western part of the country. From the afternoon onwards, the wind will persist and gradually increase in strength in the Pyrenees and the Empordà. Speeds could easily exceed 70 or 90 km/h in the windiest areas, and even 100 km/h in some cases. Meteocat has issued strong wind warnings for Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Ventcat plan is activated at the alert level.

Sunny skies are expected across most regions, but with increasing cloud cover and a slight chance of isolated showers or light rain in the northeast throughout the day. Rain will return to the Pyrenees, primarily affecting the northern slopes, but intermittently spreading to the southern side. The snow level will fluctuate between 1,000 and 1,200 meters in the morning, dropping to around 800 meters in the afternoon. Showers are also expected in the Balearic Islands, particularly between Mallorca and Menorca. This is all due to the arrival of cold air, which will also lower temperatures across the country. Highs of 11 to 16°C are expected, with lower temperatures in mountainous areas. This is a far cry from the over 20°C reached yesterday in the south of the country.

Cold, wind and snow in the Pyrenees in the coming days

On Wednesday, strong to very strong northerly winds will prevail in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees—also affecting some valleys—and in the Empordà region, while the mistral wind will persist in the south. Extreme caution is advised, particularly in the high mountains, as conditions will be severe, with blizzard conditions expected in the coming hours due to the combination of wind and snow. Some showers are still possible on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, where the snow level will drop significantly. Sunshine will dominate in most areas, creating a distinctly cold and wintry atmosphere.

On Thursday, temperatures may recover slightly, but will remain below average for this time of year. The northerly wind will ease but not disappear, bringing some precipitation back to the Pyrenees, with the snow level rising throughout the day. No significant or widespread rain is expected outside the Pyrenees.