Villajoyosa, Alicante braving the weather.
Credit: Felipe Thomas 2 – Shutterstock
What the weather will be like over Easter weekend has been at the forefront of many minds in Spain after last year’s washout, and the answer is still sketchy with a new cold front coming in.
Storm Olivier may have passed, but according to AEMET, the Spanish official meteorological agency, a polar mass triggered a mid-April winter storm, bringing showers and thunderstorms across most of Spain and snow in the north and southeast above 900 metres. In cities like Ávila, Madrid, Toledo, and Salamanca, highs have not gone over 12-14°C.
On Wednesday, a high-altitude dip will draw out the unstable situation, causing heavy rain and thunderstorms in the northeast and Balearic Islands. Snow is expected in northern and southeastern mountains, with snow levels between 900 and 1,400 metres. Meteorologist Mar Gómez from eltiempo.es warns of chilly air blowing from the snow-capped mountains, with lows possibly reaching 0°C Wednesday and Thursday nights in higher points. Snow accumulation could reach 37 cm in the Aragonese Pyrenees, 29 cm in the Catalan Pyrenees, 20 cm in the Cantabrian Mountains, 23 cm in the Guadarrama Mountains, and over 10 cm in Sierra Nevada, so the forecast for Easter skiing is pretty good, but jackets at lower levels will still be required.
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Weather respite on Thursday, followed by chilly weather
A respite arrives on Maundy Thursday, the week’s most stable day, according to Aemet. Heavy rain is expected only in Galicia, so prepare yourselves Camino walkers, for occasional showers along the Cantabrian coast, Pyrenees, and parts of Andalusia. Temperatures will rise, reaching 26°C in Valencia and Alicante, 25°C in Murcia, and 20-22°C in Seville, Barcelona, and Cádiz.
On Good Friday, a new front from the northwest will bring heavy rain to western Galicia, spreading across the peninsula but sparing the Mediterranean. Saturday may see widespread showers and thunderstorms, with snow returning to major mountain ranges. Up to 120 litres per square metre of rain could fall in A Coruña, 100 in Pontevedra, and 50-70 in Jaén, the Pyrenees, and Segovia. Showers may persist into Sunday, but temperatures could trend upward by Monday.
If you’re thinking of taking in the Semana Santa processions, enjoy yourself, but take an umbrella just in case.