Winter arrives from midweek

BarcelonaThe mild weather of the last few hours will end this week, especially regarding temperatures. The passage of the last front channeled westerly winds, somewhat warmed, and carried away cloud cover, leaving scattered rain across the region during the early hours of Sunday (you will find the accumulated rainfall totals at the end of this report).

This week the weather pattern will change with an incursion of cold air that will bring temperatures down to a low, with a full-winter feel between Thursday and Saturday, particularly in the Pyrenees. This would be the first intense cold snap of autumn.

Monday with winds at both ends of the country and downpours in the northeast

On Monday, northerly winds and the mistral will arrive, with some moderate gusts. The tramontana will cause rough seas north of Cape Begur, and its tailwind will generate cloud cover along the central coast (a few showers are possible towards evening). On the northern slopes of the Pyrenees (Aran Valley), overcast skies and drizzle will persist, with the snow level dropping from 2,000 meters to 1,600 meters by the end of the day (light snowfall). Elsewhere in the country, sunshine will prevail, with some afternoon showers in the northeast, also affecting parts of the Pyrenees and eastern Pre-Pyrenees.

Temperatures will remain largely unchanged, although they will begin to drop in the Pyrenees, with highs not exceeding 12°C in the valleys. Inland, they will reach 17°C, and along the coast, they will hover around 19°C to 20°C.

Winter atmosphere from midweek

The first few days of the week will be sunny and relatively calm. However, the mistral and tramontana winds will strengthen on Tuesday, bringing quite rough seas to the northern Costa Brava. From Wednesday onwards, temperatures will drop significantly, and we could experience early winter conditions, with below-average values. Looking ahead to Thursday, models indicate the reactivation of Arctic polar air (with temperatures at 5500 m around -30 °C directly overhead). This very cold air mass, upon contact with the warm air above the Mediterranean (in contrast to the polar air), will generate bands of active clouds, bringing showers, thunderstorms (with sleet or snow flurries), and snowfall at low elevations. In fact, if the forecasts hold true, we could see snow at elevations close to 800 m in the north and northeast. It wouldn't be a major storm, but we could see snow in areas where it doesn't usually fall in November. By Friday, minimum temperatures in the Pyrenees will be around 8 degrees lower than current levels, with heavy frost in the high mountains (dropping to -7°C in the valleys). We'll have to start changing our wardrobes and get our warm jackets ready!

Accumulated rainfall between Saturday and Sunday:

• Spot (2,400 m): 42 l/m²
• Boí (2,500 m): 25 l/m²
• Port del Comte (2,290 m): 23 l/m²
• Gisclareny: 19 l/m²
• Pont de Suert: 19 l/m²
• Barcelona (Raval): 15 l/m²
• El Prat de Llobregat: 14 l/m²
• Blanes: 16 l/m²
• Vallirana: 10 l/m²
• Tarragona: 3 l/m²
• Tárrega: 2 l/m²
• Lleida - La Fenosa: 2 l/m²
• El Vendrell: 1 l/m²