Get ready to bundle up, because the cold has really arrived. After an unusually warm autumn, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) warns that the cold wave is already here. So far, November has surprised with hot days, such as in the Mediterranean area, where thermometers reached 30 degrees.
This abrupt change is due to the Atlantic ridge, a meteorological phenomenon that brings polar or arctic air to Europe, causing a notable drop in temperatures. This pattern, characterized by high pressure over the central North Atlantic, will influence European weather during the remainder of November and early December, putting an end to the high temperatures of recent weeks.
In Spain, this phenomenon means inflows of cold, dry air from the north or northeast, causing more intense and widespread frosts in the mountainous areas of the Peninsula. If you add the wind to the equation, the wind chill could be even lower than usual for this time of year.
But not everything is cold, since the Atlantic ridge also brings rain to the Cantabrian slope, the north of the Pyrenees and the Balearic Islands. In the rest of the country, however, precipitation will be less notable, unless this pattern coincides with subtropical air, which could lead to more intense and widespread rain and snowfall.
For this weekend, Aemet warns that temperatures will drop below zero, especially in mountain areas. The frosts will be weak and dispersed on the plateaus, but more intense near the Pyrenees. In fact, in the north of Lleida, the frosts could be strong.
And for snow lovers, the AEMET announces that in the Pyrenees it will snow from 1,400 to 1,600 meters above sea level, lowering the snow level to 1,200 to 1,400 meters at the end of the day.
Starting Monday, a change is expected towards an Atlantic situation with intermittent rains, being more abundant in the eastern Cantabrian Sea and with the possibility of snow in the Pyrenees. During the week, temperatures will be unstable, with precipitation in the northwest and west, spreading to the east and affecting the entire territory. Rainfall is expected to be abundant in the western third, with an increasing probability that it will be in the form of snow in the northern mountains.
