I'll Get My Coat (and hat)

[pistonbroke]

We've been getting weather warnings for the last few days regarding a band of snow and sub zero temperatures that are due tomorrow. Apparently an arctic blast is moving through the Iberian Peninsula. This will be the first significant snow in our area since we moved here 5 years ago and there has been a flurry (sic) of messages from the ajuntament to wear a warm coat, hat and face covering, prepare your car for slippy roads(not that we are allowed to go anywhere), compared to life in Yorkshire, it's quite funny. It must be unusual as a village up in the Catalan Pyrenees has today recorded the lowest temperature ever in Spain at minus 34.6°C that's quite chilly by any standards.
Thankfully our log store is healthy following a spring cull of olive trees when we had bugger all else to do in Lockdown V1.

[Jurassic]

I watched a Met Office ten day forecast the week before last and they mentioned the possibility of an upcoming Sudden Stratospheric Warming event over the North Pole. Apparently this sometimes (but not always) leads to the establishment of a blocking high pressure over Scandinavia a couple of weeks later (which is what caused the Beast from the East and the harsh winter in 2010). Not sure how much that would affect you in Spain but it'll be interesting to see if anything happens in a couple of weeks time.

[pistonbroke]

Well, that was an interesting couple of days. Storm Filomena hit us on Friday morning and the snow continued until the early hours of this morning. The weight of snow has decimated the olive and pine trees that surround us, the almonds are largely unaffected. We also have a couple of pergolas with bamboo roofs that have suffered, I managed to get some props underneath yesterday but the damage was already done. The temperature has risen this afternoon so the thaw has started. The solar panels pictured below are shoulder height on me!

View from the upstairs balcony

[pistonbroke]

Oh, by the way, a pic has just popped up on MrsPB's social media bollox from 12 months ago. Her brother was over and we were out cycling in 22° in shorts and t shirts, the world really has gone mad!

[pistonbroke]

Bit brighter today so the thaw is going apace. Been for a walk, no chance of getting to the road atm, it would mean digging out 500m of snow &ice, there's a short ramp up to the tarmac that's been driven over by 4x4s and is now a sheet of ice. Various large branches lying across the track as well.

[benp1]

This looks ace Duncan. And so unfair

Why is it that a region that gets real sun also gets some real snow

Gutted. We're ranging between about -1C and 3C every day. Just cold and grey

[ScotRoutes]

6c here today - and raining. Still boilerplate ice around so (like yesterday) biking from the house is impossible. Indeed, even walking around was treacherous. I believe more snow is on the way. That should top up the stuff on the mountains but there will be a high avalanche risk due to the fluctuation in temperatures.

[Alpinum]

high avalanche risk due to the fluctuation in temperatures.

It depends.
As I understand from what you wrote is that it's warm now (6 °C) and will get colder.
If we regard the temperature issue isolated for a case as above mentioned (which in practise is impossible, obviously), we'd get less avalanche risk.
Colder temperatures have a beneficial effect on the snowpack. Higher temperatures build tension in the snowpack.
So much for a rule of thumb - which is risky in such a complex field like avalanche risk assessment.


Learn from the leading institute
https://www.slf.ch/en/index.html

https://whiterisk.ch/en/welcome

I go through this and similar matter every autumn. Again and again. It's so bloody complex and depending on what you do outdoors, your life depends on what you know.

[pistonbroke]

To be fair Ben, the quantity of snow we had over the weekend is very unusual. Apparently the last time was in the 70's. That said we don't have to travel very far if we want to ski. There are lifts 2 hours West of here near Teruel as the Montañasvacias riders will attest but they're at 2,000m and the Pyrenees are about 4 hours North. What we do get between Dec and Feb are cold crisp days and blue skies so cycling is fine but wrap up warm. We certainly don't miss the dreek and rain.