A winter Thursday, busier and with the snow level still a concern.

BarcelonaTemperatures plummeted yesterday, and wintry conditions will persist today, with the mercury dropping even further in the Pyrenees and the northeast. We woke up to midwinter chills and frost across the Pyrenees, the Pre-Pyrenees, the northeast interior, and several inland areas. However, minimum temperatures have temporarily risen in the central, southern, and western regions compared to yesterday, meaning the frosts are not as widespread in these areas. But the temperature drop is already noticeable at higher elevations in the Pyrenees, where colder air has begun to move in. This morning, temperatures reached -9°C at 2,500 meters altitude, for example, in areas like Boí, Espot, and Tosa d'Alp. The bulk of the very cold Arctic air mass will arrive today, reaching its lowest point between Friday morning and Saturday. Furthermore, a cold front will cross us this Thursday, bringing more instability. It snowed on the north-facing slopes in the early hours of the morning, and will snow again from the afternoon onwards. Throughout the day there will be more cloud cover 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 dustings of snow 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 feel. 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. The northerly wind will persist in the extremes, and instability will increase due to the passage of a cold front. It snowed lightly last night on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees, and snow will return to this area this afternoon, with intermittent snowfall possible on the southern peaks. Cloud cover will also increase 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. In the afternoon, these showers will spread sporadically to other parts of the northeast, and perhaps some areas 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 possible tonight in the Girona region, northeastern 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, especially 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, and snowflakes above 200 or 300 meters. Meteocat has issued a snow alert for Thursday night and early Friday morning 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. The Catalan Civil Protection agency has activated its Neucat plan, which is currently in the pre-alert phase.

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.