In the final stretch of the year, Spain faces a changing meteorological scenario, since the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has warned of an unusually strong anticyclone that is losing strength. This situation has given way to an unstable weather pattern, which includes rain, cold and possible snowfall, thus breaking the calm that prevails during these holidays.
Christmas in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands has been characterized by anticyclonic conditions typical of winter, with mostly clear skies, but with the presence of morning and evening fogs, especially on the plateaus and depressions of the northeast. Meanwhile, in the Canary Islands, partly cloudy skies were expected in the west and clearer skies in the east.
Aemet experts predict that from December 26 the weather will maintain these characteristics, with fog that will spread over much of the center of the peninsula. These conditions could persist on Wednesday, accompanied by moderate to heavy frosts, increasing the possibility of frost in many areas.
However, the most significant change is expected for New Year’s Eve. Aemet has advanced that the anticyclone, which until now dominated the weather, will give way to a very different pattern. In the middle of the week, a front will approach the northwest of the peninsula, bringing rain mainly to Galicia, while the rest of Spain will probably not experience precipitation that day.
This front will move inland on Thursday, with more notable precipitation in the southwest and northwest. The Atlantic slope could also receive rainfall, although in general it is expected to be weak. For Friday the 29th, an increase in instability is expected in many regions of the country, with the possibility of more intense rains, especially in the northern half.
The Aemet also warns of the arrival of cold air, which could cause snowfall at medium altitudes, above 1000 meters. The meteorological situation for the weekend and the beginning of 2024 seems to be leaning towards colder and wetter weather, with the possibility of heavy snowfall in the northern mountains, especially in the Pyrenees.
The meteorological agency also points out that from Friday the 29th until New Year’s, there is a high degree of uncertainty in the prediction, but it is most likely that new Atlantic fronts, more active than the previous ones, will travel across the Peninsula from northwest to southeast. This could cause a general drop in temperatures, more rain and a decrease in the snow level, especially on Sunday, when heavy snow could occur in the northern mountain systems.
