We're taking advantage of the calm and the good weather: winter returns this weekend

BarcelonaCalm has been gradually returning in recent hours, although bands of clouds have kept the sky cloudy. The rain has now completely stopped in the south of the Valencian Community, after dumping more than 130 l/m² between Tuesday and Wednesday in the Marina Alta, and between 60 and 90 l/m² in other parts of the Alicante and Plana Baixa regions. All of this is now history, and today and tomorrow we can expect days dominated by calm and sunshine, with some cloud cover, but no rain, and milder afternoons. But be warned, because the weekend will start off unsettled. The passage of a cold front will bring showers on Saturday, especially to areas in the northern and eastern half of the region, as well as snow in the Pyrenees below 1,000 meters, northerly winds in the extremes, and a sharp drop in temperatures. We will suddenly be back in winter weather.

Thursday: very calm

Today the weather will be very calm and pleasant, with plenty of sunshine overall. However, throughout the day some bands of high and mid-level clouds will continue to cross the sky, keeping it occasionally somewhat hazy or partly cloudy, and the low clouds or morning fog will return. In the afternoon, sunshine and calm will prevail, with some intervals of low clouds or localized clouds in the northeast that will not produce any showers.

Calm weather is also expected in the Balearic Islands and the Valencian Community, with temperatures generally rising slightly. In fact, minimum temperatures have risen significantly at both ends of the coast due to the moderate winds. A mistral and tramontana wind is blowing in the Ebro Valley and in the northern Empordà region, which will eventually dissipate from midday onwards. We will go from the early morning chill to a mild midday. Many maximum temperatures will range between 16°C and 21°C.

Fleeting return of winter

Friday will be another very calm and pleasant day, with temperatures rising slightly. It will be very mild at midday, but as the day progresses, more bands of clouds will cross from west to east. The first showers will arrive in the Pyrenees of Lleida in the evening, quickly spreading to other areas.

These are the effects of a cold front that will bring showers to several areas on Saturday, especially in the central and northern parts of the country, particularly during the early morning hours. However, in the Girona and Barcelona areas, these showers could persist for much of the day. It will snow again in the Pyrenees, with the heaviest snowfall concentrated on the northern slopes. Be aware that the snow level will drop significantly below 1,000 meters. In the afternoon, snow could fall down to 700 meters, and locally lower.

This change in weather will also bring back northerly winds to the extremities, causing a sharp drop in temperatures. We'll suddenly be back in winter, so we can't put away our coats just yet. Sunday will be sunnier, but the northerly winds and cold temperatures will persist. It will be a brief winter retreat, as next week we'll return to spring-like temperatures, just before the official arrival of the new season.