The last Friday of Christmas begins with Catalonia as the community most affected by bad weather, according to the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet). Girona remains under orange warning due to rain, snowfall, coastal storms and risk of avalanches, while Barcelona and Tarragona are under yellow warning due to rain and rough seas. In the case of Barcelona, the agency also predicts possible snowfall. “There will be locally heavy and persistent rain in the Balearic Islands and in Catalonia, especially in the east of the Catalan community,” summarizes Rubén del Campo, spokesperson for Aemet. Outside of Catalonia, Castellón is under an active yellow warning for accumulating snow, with up to five centimeters in 24 hours above 1,000 meters in the northern interior.
The agency also warns of intense cold, with subzero temperatures across large areas of the north and inland. Significant frosts are expected in Zamora, Palencia and León, as well as in the Cantabrian Mountains, the Picos de Europa, Liébana, Cantabria del Ebro, the Center and the Villaverde Valley, as well as in Orense. In the mountains, frosts can be moderate or even severe.
Aemet believes that instability is also occurring in the area around Cape Nao and could affect the Balearic Islands, where some of the largest accumulations are expected, even with occasional storms. In Galicia, the rains will tend to ease over the hours, although at the start of the day there may still be precipitation.
One of the most notable elements of the day will be the snow. The entity predicts that the level will be between 900 and 1,200 meters in the northeast quadrant, although it could occasionally drop to 500 meters. Significant accumulations are expected in the eastern Pyrenees, which could also locally affect the Iberian Mountains and neighboring lower areas. The agency also envisages snowfall in parts of Galicia and Castilla y León above 400 or 500 meters.
Instability will spread to a large part of the country. The day will be dominated by cloudy or overcast skies in the Balearic Islands, in the northeast of the peninsula and, initially, in Galicia. In the rest of the peninsula there will be cloudy intervals, although the Aemet indicates the presence of abundant low cloudiness in the southern half during the first hours. Rainfall is also expected in the Strait of Melilla and, in a weaker and earlier form, in the center of the peninsula.
In the Canaries, the scenario will be calmer, with cloudy periods and probable light and scattered rains in the eastern islands and to the north of the most mountainous islands.
Maximum temperatures will increase in the northeastern half, while they will decrease in areas of the southern plateau. Minimum temperatures will increase in the northeast of the peninsula, but will decrease in the western half, in Murcia and the Canary Islands. Otherwise, the changes will be insignificant. Aemet warns of light frosts in large areas of the interior, which can be moderate or even severe in the mountainous areas of the northern half.
The wind will be another factor to take into account. It will blow moderately from the east over the Cantabrian Sea and the Balearic Islands, with strong gusts over the Catalan coast. In Galicia, the south wind will predominate on the coast; in the strait and Alborán, to the west; and in the rest of the Mediterranean, strong intervals with a northern component cannot be excluded. Inside, the wind will be generally weak, with a predominance of northern and western components.
The day ends with the presence of morning fog banks, particularly in mountain areas and on the Southern Plateau, a Friday clearly marked by the return of winter after the holidays.
According to Rubén del Campo, the unstable weather in the Mediterranean peninsular area and in the Balearic Islands will continue until Monday 29, with showers that may be locally heavy and persistent and with snowfall in mountainous areas. In this last part of the week, temperatures will increase, so the cold will be less intense than in previous days, although the atmosphere will still be wintry.
Saturday: rain in the northeast and increased cloudiness in the south
On Saturday the probability of showers will continue in the northeast of the peninsula and in the Balearic Islands, with a particular impact on eastern Catalonia and the north of the Valencian Community, where they could be persistent. Aemet also forecasts an increase in cloudiness in Extremadura and Andalusia, with the possibility of heavy showers, especially in the west and south of Andalusia.
Snow levels will increase markedly, reaching between 1,400 and 1,600 meters, with heavy snowfall in the Catalan Pyrenees above this altitude. There will be intense winds and sea storms on the Andalusian Mediterranean coast, while temperatures will be higher, although the day will start with frosts in large areas of the interior.
Sunday: rising temperatures and persistent rain on the coast
On Sunday, the thermal rise will continue and frosts will now be limited to mountainous areas. With generally cloudy skies, precipitation is expected in the Mediterranean area and Andalusia, which could be heavy and persistent in coastal and pre-coastal areas. In the rest of the east, center and south of the peninsula, the rains will be more scattered, with snow between 1,400 and 1,700 meters.
On that day, fog banks could also form to the east of the peninsula, which could make traffic difficult due to reduced visibility.
Monday: more scattered rain and return of night cold
Monday will be a day of more stable weather, although there will still be rain in the Mediterranean regions and in the Balearic Islands, which are generally more scattered. However, Aemet does not exclude that they are locally intense in the south of Valencia and Alicante. Snow will appear from 1,400 to 1,800 meters, on a day marked by low clouds and fog inland.
Maximum temperatures will barely vary, but minimum temperatures will fall everywhere, spreading frost again in the north and center of the peninsula.
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