Wintry weekend forecast – first snows to hit high altitudes

WINTER is about to hit Spain any day now – in fact, the first snows have fallen at high altitudes in the north.

After an Indian summer with Hallowe'en bringing almost beach temperatures on the Mediterranean, the high winds in the area that followed are likely to return between today (Thursday) and the weekend, whilst heavy rain is forecast for the northern coastal strip.

An Atlantic front hitting the north-west first will gradually drift south-east, bringing with it a significant fall in temperatures and snow at lower altitudes.

Already, snow has been reported at 1,500 metres above sea-level, mostly in the Pyrénées, which means ski resorts could open early this year.

In Aragón's Pyrénéen province of Huesca, over 20 centimetres (eight inches) of snow appeared overnight in Candanchú, one of the area's main ski resort towns, and at higher altitudes, this could rise to 50 centimetres or more (about 1'8”).

Asturias awoke this morning to see white peaks, and in the next few hours, snow could be seen at altitudes of just 1,000 metres above sea-level.

Skiing fans in Asturias and Cantabria are reportedly getting their gloves and goggles out ready to hit the slopes for the first time this year since March.

By Friday, in the northern half of the mainland, snow may have fallen at altitudes of 800 metres or above.

But a major thaw followed by heavy rain is expected in the area from Monday.

Across the rest of the mainland and the Balearics, snow is not expected, but high winds will return and a significant drop in the mercury is forecast, meaning the quilts, coats and thick socks which have been gathering dust on the Mediterranean and south coasts since February or March will now start to come out of closets.

The Canary Islands which, due to their geographical location – level with the middle strip of Morocco and about 100 kilometres from the north African coast – typically get the best weather in Spain, and will experience less of an impact on temperatures, but could be a wash-out this weekend, especially in the north of the region where downpours are likely to be heavy, says Spain's State meteorological agency, AEMET.