The start of March brings with it a weather forecast full of changes and anomalies, as confirmed by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet). Spain will experience a notable rise in temperatures, along with a greater incidence of precipitation compared to previous months, breaking the usual patterns for this time of year.
Although the first weeks of March are characterized by great instability, with intense cold and snowfall in areas where it is rarely seen, the situation is expected to stabilize towards the second half of the month. The Aemet has highlighted that, although we are already in what is considered climatological spring, this will not prevent the continuation of low temperatures and weather variability over the next few days.
Specifically, during the day on Saturday snowfall was observed not only in mountain areas but also in lower latitudes, including Madrid, an unusual phenomenon. However, the trend indicates a gradual rise in thermometers, with an increase of between 2 and 4ºC in most of the country, especially in the interior, although this rise will not extend to the coastal and island areas.
The unstable weather not only brings cold, but also portends alterations in the rainfall regime. Although rainfall of between 100-150 l/m2 is normally expected in the north of the peninsula and 10-20 liters per square meter in inland areas, this month could deviate from these averages due to the persistent drought of recent months. Even so, more precipitation is expected than in February, although with a distribution and amount yet to be defined.
Regarding temperatures, Aemet has predicted anomalous phenomena in several regions. For the Mediterranean, eastern Cantabrian, Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, temperatures between 1 and 2 degrees above normal are expected. The first ten days of the month will maintain temperatures more in line with the season in the rest of the peninsula, but from March 11 to 18, thermometers could register between 1 and 3ºC above normal in much of the country.
For the last days of March, which coincide with Easter, temperatures are expected to remain above average, although with a tendency to normalize in some areas, especially in the center of the peninsula. This change occurs after a beginning of the month with lower temperatures than usual, although within normal limits for the time.
In terms of precipitation, the influence of the polar jet stream that has recently hit the country suggests a more variable and unstable environment for the first two weeks of March. This could lead to above-average rainfall in the interior of the peninsula, the Atlantic area and the Canary Islands. However, it is unlikely that the low-level snowfall at the beginning of the month will be repeated, which represents a significant change in weather towards milder and wetter conditions.