The weather fronts are relentless: more showers, snow and wind in the coming days
Tuesday will be a cloudier and more unsettled day, with stronger winds and colder temperatures expected.
BarcelonaThe weather is relentless. We started the week with strong winds in many areas and another widespread snowfall across the Pyrenees (you'll find the most important data on snowfall and winds at the end of this report). Looking ahead to the next few hours and days, the weather will remain unsettled and changeable due to the passage of new Atlantic fronts. This afternoon and evening, some showers will arrive from the west, crossing the country eastward throughout Tuesday. Rain will be scattered here and there, mostly outside the Lleida Pyrenees, with overcast skies and temperatures rising slightly. Once the front passes, the wind will pick up again, and temperatures will drop significantly on Wednesday. The snow level will be temporarily high on Tuesday, but will fall sharply again afterward. With so much snow, wind, and temperature fluctuations, the avalanche risk remains high throughout the Pyrenees. Exercise extreme caution in the high mountains.
Tuesday: Unsettled weather
The passage of a new cold front will bring increased cloud cover on Tuesday, with some light showers moving across the region from west to east. Overall, rainfall will be light, with the heaviest precipitation expected on the southern slopes of the Pyrenees and the Pre-Pyrenees of Lleida. The snow level will temporarily rise to 1,800 meters due to warmer southerly winds, but will drop back down to 1,500 or 1,300 meters later in the day.
All of this will be accompanied by southerly winds, particularly noticeable in the northeast and at higher elevations in the Pyrenees, where blizzard conditions are expected. From tonight onwards, the wind will shift to a westerly or mistral direction and become more widespread. Temperatures will rise, both minimum and maximum, more gently, with many reaching 12 to 17°C. The rise will be significant in the northeast and in areas on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees and the Alt Pirineu due to this warmed southerly wind.
A little bit of everything throughout the week
Wednesday will be a day of changeable skies, with some light and passing showers in the central and southern parts of the country, gusty winds until mid-morning, and colder temperatures. On Thursday, a new front will bring more rain in the early morning, with the snow level dropping below 1,000 meters again in the Pyrenees. Therefore, very changeable weather with a bit of everything, and a rollercoaster of temperatures, which will remain relatively stable.
Summary of the latest episode of wind and snow
Between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning, we experienced another episode of strong northerly winds in many regions. The strongest gusts were recorded along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and Tarragona, in the northern part of Alt Empordà, and at high elevations in the Pyrenees, accompanied by blizzard conditions. In these areas, wind speeds frequently reached between 50 and 80 km/h, but locally exceeded 90 or 100 km/h. These are the most notable wind speeds above 90 km/h:
- 115 km/h: Mount Sesolles (1,668 m)
- 108 km/h: La Riba
- 107 km/h: El Perelló
- 105 km/h: Constantine
- 105 km/h: Miami Beach
- 105 km/h: El Vendrell
- 105 km/h: Hospitalet de l'Infant
- 99 km/h: Portbou
- 93 km/h: Font-rubí
- 92 km/h: Mas de Barberans
- 91 km/h: Riudecanyes
- 90 km/h: Spot
Furthermore, a new widespread snowfall occurred throughout the Pyrenees during the night, early morning, and morning. It mainly affected the northern slopes, but also fell heavily on the southern slopes and even down to the valley floors. At higher elevations in the Alt Pirineu, more than 20 cm of new snow has accumulated, and among towns, Puigcerdà, the capital of the Cerdanya region, stands out with 12 cm.
In Núria, a new record for accumulated snowfall was reached this Monday, with 144 cm after adding 19 cm in the last few hours. This is the greatest accumulation in 26 years of records at this location, situated at an altitude of 1,971 meters in the Ripollès region, and slightly surpasses the previous record of 142 cm, set in January 2006. These are the most notable snow depths from the last snowfall:
- 28 cm: Malniu (2,230 m)
- 28 cm: Certascan (2,400 m)
- 22 cm: Bonaigua (2,266 m)
- 20 cm: Spot (2.519 m)
- 19 cm Núria (1,971 m)
- 19 cm: Sasseuva (2,228 m)
- 17 cm: Ulldeter (1,999 m)
- 16 cm: Bonabé (1,693 m)
- 15 cm: the Boí Valley (1,270 m)
- 14 cm: Plans
- 12 cm: Puigcerdà
- 12 cm: Das
- 8 cm: Old