Andorra Braces for Multi-Day Winter Storm with Snow and Frost
Andorran Meteorology Service issues alerts for frost, freezing rain, and heavy snow accumulation through next week, prompting preemptive road.
Key Points
- Overnight frost hit -1.7°C in valleys; streets salted in Andorra la Vella to prevent slips.
- Snow levels rising to 1,400-1,600m; initial 15cm at 2,500m, up to 50cm+ on southern slopes.
- Yellow avalanche alert nationwide; freezing rain risks from thermal inversions.
- Lows of -6°C at Pas de la Casa; precipitation intensifies Friday evening into weekend.
Andorra is experiencing the onset of a multi-day winter episode, with communes pre-emptively salting streets in Andorra la Vella on Friday morning to counter frost risks in valleys, following alerts from the Andorran Meteorology Service.
Overnight frost gripped valley floors, though minimum temperatures were milder than last week, reaching -1.7°C at Borda Vidal station, -0.8°C at Margineda, and -1.3°C at FEDA. Light snow flurries appeared in the capital early Friday, but the snow level is rising to around 1,400 metres by midday, holding steady through the day. Municipal workers scattered potassa on roadsides and pavements, including at the Rotonda, to prevent slips after recent incidents.
The service warns of freezing rain risks at precipitation starts, as liquid drops freeze on sub-zero surfaces amid thermal inversions—less severe than last week's cold snap but still hazardous. Alerts have reached communes, Civil Protection, and other agencies, prompting protocol activations. A yellow avalanche risk alert covers the entire country.
Precipitation intensifies Friday evening into Saturday, with abundant cloud and snow from southern and eastern directions, potentially linked to an isolated Iberian disturbance. Snow levels evolve from 1,200-1,300 metres Friday to 1,400-1,500 metres Saturday, 1,500-1,600 metres Sunday-Monday, and back to 1,400-1,500 metres Wednesday. Initial accumulations forecast up to 15cm at 2,500 metres, 10cm at 2,000 metres, and 2-5cm at 1,500 metres, peaking Saturday through Sunday morning before a possible pause and resumption Monday-Tuesday.
WRF-ARW models predict up to 50cm on southern Pyrenean slopes and over a metre in exposed eastern areas, though timings for later pulses carry uncertainty. Temperatures include lows of -6°C at Pas de la Casa and -2°C in Andorra la Vella, with daytime highs of 4-6°C in the capital, 3°C at 1,500 metres, and -3°C at altitude. The 0°C isotherm sits around 1,700 metres midday, dropping to 1,400 metres overnight. Light southwesterly winds prevail.
Forecasters advise monitoring updates and caution for early travel and high-elevation outings as conditions evolve.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources:
- Altaveu•
Carrers salats a les portes d'un cap de setmana de pluja i neu
- Altaveu•
El Servei Meteorològic alerta de risc de pluja gelant els pròxims dies
- Diari d'Andorra•
Nevades destacades al Pirineu i a Andorra: fins a 50 centímetres entre divendres i dimarts
- Diari d'Andorra•
Previsió de nevades divendres i dissabte