Andorra Rivers Hit Highest April Flows in Decade from Snowmelt
Borda de Sabater station averaged 17 cubic meters per second, well above the 10 m³/s decadal norm, with snow reserves at 1.97 meters depth signaling potential May records.
Key Points
- Andorra rivers hit highest April flows in decade at 17 m³/s average at Borda de Sabater, above 10 m³/s norm
- Snow reserves averaged 1.97m depth on April 30, signaling potential May records
- Flows up 5 m³/s from April 2025's 12 m³/s despite modest 60.2mm rainfall
- High temperatures over 30°C accelerated snowmelt, boosting river levels
Andorra's rivers recorded their highest April flows in a decade due to snowmelt from substantial winter accumulations, with the Borda de Sabater station averaging 17 cubic metres per second.
That level marks a sharp rise above the 10 cubic metres per second decade average for the month. Against April 2025's reading of 12 cubic metres per second, the jump reached five cubic metres, even as rainfall stayed modest. The FEDA Central Station logged 60.2 mm of precipitation in April 2026, down slightly from 62.6 mm the year before and far below 2024's 91.7 mm.
Snow reserves remained plentiful into late April, with the Principat d'Andorra's monthly water resources bulletin noting an average depth of 1.97 metres across mountain areas on 30 April. Such volumes point to potential record highs in May, when flows typically peak from intensified thawing. From 2016 to 2025, Borda de Sabater averaged 18 cubic metres per second that month, but this year's snowpack could push beyond that mark.
Recent high temperatures, hitting and surpassing 30°C in spots, have sped up the melt and lifted river levels further in the weeks since.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources:
- Diari d'Andorra•
El cabal registrat a l’abril és el més elevat de l’última dècada
- Bon Dia•
El cabal dels rius del mes d'abril, el més elevat dels últims 10 anys
- El Periòdic•
El desgel de la neu acumulada impulsa els cabals dels rius per sobre de la mitjana habitual de l’última dècada
- Diari d'Andorra•
El desgel de la neu impulsa un augment destacat dels cabals a l'abril
- La Veu Lliure•
El desgel de la neu impulsa un augment destacat dels cabals a l’abril