A winter Thursday, busier and with the snow level still a concern.
The full force of the Arctic cold will begin to arrive, with a risk of showers in some regions.
BarcelonaTemperatures dropped significantly this Wednesday. We woke up to midwinter chills everywhere, with quite a few frosts inland. Some of the lowest minimum temperatures were -8°C in Das and -5°C in Puigcerdà (Cerdanya), as well as -4°C in Prades (Baix Camp) and -3°C in San Salvador de Guardiola (Bages) and Raimat (Segrià). These are very low values for this time of year. Maximum temperatures were also low, but we expect fully wintry conditions this Thursday.
The bulk of the very cold Arctic air mass will be arriving, reaching its lowest point between early Friday morning and Saturday. Furthermore, a cold front will cross us this Thursday, bringing more instability. It will snow on the northern slopes in the early morning, and again from the afternoon onwards. During the day, there will be more clouds and some scattered showers along the Barcelona coast and pre-coastal areas, the southern Costa Brava, and the northeast interior. Be aware of the snow level, as it will be lower throughout the day and may drop below 500 meters at night. A few isolated snow flurries are possible at relatively low elevations in the northeast.
Thursday: showers, snow and cold
Temperatures will drop even further in the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, and the northeast, both day and night, creating a truly wintry atmosphere. In contrast, they will rise slightly but temporarily in the central and southern parts of the country. Many temperatures are expected to range from 7 to 13 °C. Northerly winds will persist in the extremes, and instability will increase due to the passage of a cold front. Between Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday, snow will fall on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, returning to this area in the afternoon and potentially spreading intermittently to the peaks of the southern slopes. Cloud cover will also be more prevalent along the coast and pre-coastal areas of Barcelona and the southern Costa Brava, where very scattered showers will develop throughout the day. This will accentuate the feeling of cold in these areas. This afternoon, these showers will spread sporadically to other areas of the northeast interior, and perhaps some parts of the Pre-Pyrenees. Showers are also expected in the Balearic Islands.
The snow level will descend from the initial 900 meters to 700 or 600 meters by the afternoon and evening. Be aware that some showers are still expected overnight between Girona and Barcelona and Els Ports, with the snow level dropping to 500 or 400 meters. We should monitor this situation closely, as snowfall is possible in unusual areas outside the Pyrenees, specifically in the northeast. In any case, these will be isolated events, with some light dusting of snow, for example, in the Montseny area, the Transversal mountain range, the Cadiretes Massif, or Els Ports. Meteocat has issued a snow alert for Thursday night above 200 meters in the Alt and Baix Empordà regions, as well as for accumulations of more than 5 centimeters above 700 meters on Friday in the Vall d'Aran.
Colder weather, strong winds and snowfall in the Pyrenees on Friday
Snowfall will continue on Friday at all elevations on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, and will even spread to more areas of the western Pyrenees and the peaks of the southern slopes. Accumulations of more than 20 or 25 cm of snow are possible in the higher elevations of the Aran Valley and the Alt Pirineu.
The sun will prevail elsewhere, but some showers are still expected during the early morning hours along the central coast and pre-coastal areas, the southern Costa Brava, and the northeast, with the snow level around 400 meters, but locally lower. Therefore, it's possible to see snow at lower elevations, albeit anecdotally and briefly. A busy day is also expected, with showers and locally heavy thunderstorms in the Balearic Islands, with snow above 700 meters in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains of Mallorca. On Friday, northerly winds will be the dominant feature in many regions. Moderate winds with some strong gusts are expected, especially in the Ebro Valley, the Empordà region, and the Pyrenees peaks. Maximum temperatures will reach their lowest point, with a cold, mid-winter feel.
On Saturday, we'll likely experience the lowest minimum temperatures of this winter spell, but the maximum temperatures will recover somewhat. It will be a calm and sunny day.
On Sunday, the mercury will begin to rise more sharply, and temperatures will normalize in the following days. An Atlantic front will arrive, bringing new precipitation to the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, with the snow level rising above 1,000 meters.