Following a succession of Borage, low-pressure systems and intense showers in the MediterraneanThe atmosphere takes another turn, setting the stage for a weekend marked by a distinctly more wintry feel. A mass of polar air coming from Canada It is heading towards the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, and will arrive associated with a cold front that will open the door to a sharp drop in temperatures, rain spread across many regions and new snowfall in mountain areas.
In parallel, The Canary Islands will experience a mixed episode of haze, strong winds and light rainfall in the north of some islands. While the mainland archipelago cools with the arrival of polar air, the Canary archipelago will experience alternating cloudy skies due to suspended dust, cloudy intervals, and trade winds that will blow stronger than usual in certain areas.
Recent events: heavy rain, unusual snow, and highly changeable weather
In the days leading up to the arrival of this new pulse of cold air of polar originThe weather situation had already been showing clear signs of change. Following Storm Regina and the passage of several tropical storms, rainfall has accumulated. very significant rainfall in the Mediterranean, with a particular impact on Catalonia, the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands.
Cases have been recorded in the interior and along the Levantine coast. locally heavy and thundery showersMeanwhile, in parts of the south and southeast, there has been unusual snowfall for this time of year. The following was particularly noteworthy: Snow at low elevations in the Region of Murcia and in much of the eastern half of Andalusia, a phenomenon that, although possible, is not usually frequent once we are already in the month of March.
In the Balearic Islands, the start of the week left More than 45 liters per square meter in Mallorca In just a few hours, rainfall in the Valencian Community far exceeded average levels for this time of year. In the Maigmó mountain range, in the province of Alicante, accumulations reached more than 100 l/m² in a single daycausing significant flooding of some waterways and a very marked situation of instability.
In subsequent days, the The Marina Alta region of Alicante experienced very heavy rainfall again.with rainfall totals again exceeding 100 l/m² in some areas. This highly changeable weather, with periods of very cloudy skies alternating with clearing, is consistent with a highly wavy polar jet which favors the successive arrival of troughs and lows over the Peninsula.
Experts Meteored SpainAmong them, climatologist Samuel Biener, point out that the wavy polar jet stream is behind this streak of cold air blasts at high altitude which have been feeding different dans. These high-level structures have brought with them storms, isolated hailstorms, snowfall and sudden temperature changes in a matter of hours, something quite typical in the transition between winter and spring.
Thursday, a brief respite before the weather changes
After several days of marked instability, the Thursday is shaping up to be the most stable day of the week in much of the country. After the formation of morning fog in valleys and depressions inland, the weather will tend to be somewhat calmer, although not entirely anticyclonic.
They wait Light and scattered rainfall in Galiciaas well as in mountainous areas of the southeastern Iberian Peninsula. In the Canary Islands, cloud cover will be denser in the northern Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La Palmawhere light rain is possible. The rest of the Peninsula will experience a day with sunny spells, some mid- and high-level clouds, and a break from the recent episodes of heavy rain.
The Temperatures will rise across the board on Thursdayoffering a somewhat milder environment before the arrival of the cold air. Even so, the wind will still be a factor to consider: it is expected strong easterly winds in the StraitTramontana wind in the Empordà, southeasterly winds on the Galician coasts and a moderate to strong trade wind in the Canary archipelago.
This truce, however, will be short-lived. Models suggest that, after this calmer period, a A cold front will begin to approach from the North Atlantic., associated with the polar air mass that will eventually prevail over the weekend, with clear consequences for temperatures and the distribution of precipitation.
In this relatively stable context, meteorologists' attention is already focused on the behavior of that mass of cold air that has crossed the Atlantic from Canada, and which is shaping up to be the main protagonist of the final stretch of the week, both in the Peninsula and in the Balearic Islands and, indirectly, also in the Canary Islands.
Friday: advance of the cold front and first consequences of the polar air
During the day on Friday, a A cold front will sweep across the northwest of the PeninsulaThis is the first visible step in the changing pattern. In Galicia and Asturias, the following are expected: more frequent and intense rainswhich will later extend towards the Cantabrian coast and the Pyrenees mountain range as the day progresses.
These rains will be accompanied by a lowering of the snow level in the main mountain rangesThis means snow is expected in the Cantabrian Mountains, the Iberian System, and the Pyrenees. In the more exposed mountain areas of the northwest, the snow could accumulate to significant depths, creating a distinctly wintry landscape even though the calendar is already pointing towards spring.
In the rest of the northern half and in the Balearic Islands, Friday will be marked by a Partly cloudy skies with intervals of low clouds and patches of fogEspecially in the early hours of the day. Isolated showers are possible, but in general, the rain will be more continuous in the Cantabrian region and the Pyrenees. On the Mediterranean coast, however, temperatures will tend to rise slightly before the arrival of colder air.
The wind will be another key feature on Friday: North and northwest winds will prevailWinds will blow strongest in Galicia and along the Cantabrian coast, where significant gusts and rough seas are possible. In the Canary Islands, the current conditions will persist. trade winds with strong gusts In some areas, this will favor cloud cover and light rain on the more north-facing slopes.
As for temperatures, on Friday there will be a noticeable increase. clear drop in values in the northwest of the Iberian PeninsulaWhile relatively mild maximum temperatures will still be recorded on the Mediterranean coast and in the Canary Islands. This temperature difference will be temporary, as the advance of polar air will eventually impose a more widespread decline over the weekend.
Saturday: widespread rain, storms, and full arrival of polar air
On Saturday, the front associated with the polar air mass will continue its journey eastward and southward, so that The rainfall will spread to numerous regions of the PeninsulaLocally heavy rain is expected in the northern third and in some areas of the Mediterranean coast and pre-coastal region, often accompanied by storms and strong gusts of wind.
La Snow will continue to affect the mountain ranges of the northern Iberian PeninsulaThe snow level could be relatively low for this time of year, especially during periods of heaviest precipitation. The Cantabrian Mountains, the Iberian System, and the Pyrenees will see much of the snowfall, although some isolated snowflakes may be seen at slightly lower elevations in certain inland areas.
In contrast, the The southwest of the Iberian Peninsula will be in a somewhat more sheltered situationWith a lower risk of rain and more sunny spells, especially in parts of Extremadura and western Andalusia. However, cold air aloft and the associated instability could generate scattered showers in these areas as well, although initially less significant than in the north and east.
In the Canary Islands, Saturday will be marked by a denser cloud cover in the north of the islandswhere light rainfall is possible. On southern slopes and leeward areas, the weather will be drier with periods of sunshine, although the trade winds will continue to blow with moderate force and occasional strong gusts on summits and channels between islands.
With the passage of the front, the entrance of the mass of polar air coming from Canada This will be clearly noticeable: temperatures will drop across the board, especially inland and in the northern half of the country, and frosts will reappear in many mountain ranges. Some regions of the The Castilian-Leonese plateau will register negative or near 0ºC values during the early hours of Sunday morning.
Sunday: fully wintry conditions, frost and snow at low elevations
During Sunday, the The mass of polar air will continue to influence the weather in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.Although it will tend to begin a slow retreat eastward. Even so, the day will be cold, with a fully wintry atmosphere for the time of year and a distribution of cloud cover and precipitation still significant in some areas.
The The Cantabrian regions and the Pyrenees will receive a large part of the rainfall.In many sections of the Pyrenees and parts of the eastern Cantabrian coast, snow will fall at relatively low elevations. This could create a very white landscape in mountainous areas and certain high valleys, with significant accumulations where precipitation is more persistent.
They are also expected in the Balearic Islands. Intermittent rainfall throughout Sundayaccompanied by cool temperatures and moderate winds. In the rest of the Peninsula, showers will tend to concentrate in the northern half and parts of the east, while in the interior and southwest there will be clear skies, but with a cold wind chill, especially in the early morning and late evening.
Saturday night into Sunday morning will be especially cold in large areas of the interior of the peninsulaMany provincial capitals, such as Salamanca, Ávila, Burgos, Teruel, Girona, Cuenca, and Ciudad Real, could see temperatures around 0°C or even below, with more widespread frosts in rural areas, valleys, and high plains of the northern plateau and the Iberian System, areas that are among the coldest places in SpainThese frosts will add to those already predicted in mountain ranges and mountain areas.
Wind will also be a major factor on Sunday in some regions. In Catalonia, the forecast is strong gusts, with intense tramontana winds in the Empordà regionMeanwhile, in the Ebro Valley, the north wind will be felt, increasing the chill. On the Atlantic side, maximum temperatures could begin to recover slightly, but without yet reaching completely mild values.
Canary Islands: haze, strong winds and light rain in the north
While the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands grapple with polar air, The Canary Islands will face an episode of haze and strong winds combined with some light rainfall. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and Meteored agree that the coming days will be marked by Dust in suspension, strong gusts of trade winds and variable cloudiness in the Archipelago.
They wait Light rain on the northern slopes of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and La PalmaEspecially during the hours of greatest orographic cloud retention. In the rest of the archipelago, skies will alternate between cloudy intervals and large clearings, with a drier environment on the southern and western slopes of the mountainous islands and in the eastern islands.
La The haze will be more significant in Lanzarote and Fuerteventuraas well as on the summits and southern slopes of the larger islands. This suspended dust may reduce visibility at times and leave a whitish or yellowish tint in the sky, in addition to promoting dust deposits on exposed surfaces.
Regarding the wind, AEMET forecasts occasionally very strong gusts on south and west-facing slopes from some islands, as well as adverse coastal conditions. Although the forecast may vary slightly, it is possible that wind and sea state warnings will be issued in several areas of the archipelago, with particular attention to the channels between islands.
Temperatures in the Canary Islands will remain at relatively mild values compared to the PeninsulaHowever, wind and haze may affect the perceived temperature. At higher elevations, it will be cooler, while along the coasts, temperatures will remain within the usual range for this time of year, without the sharp drops expected in the interior of the peninsula.
Overall, the scenario for the coming days will be dominated by the incursion of polar air into the Peninsula and Balearic Islands and the combination of haze, strong winds and light rain in the Canary IslandsAfter a week already turbulent with thunderstorms, heavy downpours and unusually heavy snowfall for this time of year, the weather will continue to be a talking point with a weekend that is shaping up to be cold, unstable and very dynamic, both on the mainland and in the Canary Islands.
