Storm Filomena turns deadly, brings largest snowfall in decades to Madrid
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jan. 12, 2021 11:45 AM EST
Heavy snowfall blocked roadways and trapped vehicles in the Madrid region of Spain. The Spanish military was deployed to clear snow and help trapped motorists on Jan. 9.
At least four deaths across the country are being blamed on Storm Filomena as the storm wrecked havoc after bringing historic snowfall to the peninsula into the weekend.
Two of the deaths occurred in Fuengirola, located along the southern coast of Spain, when a car was swept away by floodwaters, according to the Guardian. Estepona, a town located to the west along the coast, reported 339 mm (13.35 inches) of rain from Wednesday to Saturday, while videos emerged from Malaga showing streets turned into raging rivers.
Across the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta, Spain, received 186 mm (7.32 inches) of rain from Wednesday to Friday morning, local time, cancelling numerous flights.
People shelter under umbrellas while walking along a promenade as the snow falls, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. An unusual and persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with snow, freezing traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports that had suspended all services as the snow kept falling on Saturday. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Farther north, cold air that filtered into the region from Scandinavia and Russia lead to an outbreak of winter weather and record-breaking temperatures.
A new record low temperature for Spain was recorded on Thursday morning, local time, when the thermometer dropped to minus 35.6 degrees C (minus 32 degrees F) at Vega de Liordes at the Picos de Europe National Park near Leon in northern Spain.
On Tuesday morning, the temperature plummeted to 13 C (9 F) in Madrid. This fell just shy of breaking the January record low temperature of -15.6 C (4 F) set in 1945, according to AEMet.
This frigid air was also in place across the Ebro River Valley. A homeless man died in Zaragoza, where the low temperatures dropped to around 3 degrees below zero C (26-27 F) last Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Travel conditions began to deteriorate across portions of Spain on Thursday and Friday as snow and ice accumulated. On Friday morning, local time, Albacete reported 5.51 inches (14 cm) of snow. Just west, Balazote reported a staggering 11.81 inches (30 cm).
A woman tries to remove the snow from her car during a heavy snowfall in downtown Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. A persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with 50-year record levels of snow, halting traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports that suspended all services as the snow kept falling on Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
On Saturday morning, local time, Orgaz reported 56 cm (22 inches) of snow, while La Dehsea del Val and Molina de Aragon each reported 40 cm (15.75 inches) of snow.
For the first time since its creation, the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMet) issued a red alert, the highest on their warning scale, for snow for the Madrid area. It is estimated that 33 cm (13 inches) of snow has fallen from Wednesday to Saturday, while there are reports of up to 60 cm (24 inches) in surrounding areas. One man was found buried in the snow.
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The AEMet has stated that this is the largest snowfall since 1971, when around 20 cm (8 inches) fell in Madrid with up to 30 cm (12 inches) in surrounding areas.
The last time Madrid had accumulating snow was on Feb. 5, 2018, when parts of the city had up to 13 cm (5 inches). This snow forced the closure of two runways at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport. The last time a widespread accumulation of 10 cm (4 inches) occurred in Madrid was on Feb. 23, 2005.
Schools across the Madrid area have announced that they will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday as recovery efforts continue. Snowball fights and dance parties broke out throughout the weekend as some celebrated the winter weather.
A child plays during heavy snowfall in Retiro park in Madrid, Spain, January 8, 2021. REUTERS/Juan Medina
The A-5, A-4 and A-3 were some of over 400 roads closed due to snow from Storm Filomena, according to El Pais. It is estimated that nearly 1,000 cars were trapped and reinforcements from the Army were called in to help dig people out.
According to the Directorate General of Traffic, 1,800 Traffic Police Agents, 685 traffic management staff and 1,200 snowplows are working to keep the roads clean. For the Community of Madrid, there are almost 40 snowplows working along with 150 people to keep the roads clean.
The Directorate General of Traffic added that residents should avoid traveling if possible despite the ongoing effort to keep roadways clear.
After roads were shut down and public transportation suspended, nurses could be seen trekking hours through the snow to relieve coworkers, some of whom were working for over 24 hours.
Spain has been battling one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in Europe. And as vaccines are scheduled to arrive in Spain on Monday, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Minister of the Interior, and José Luis Ábalos, Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda are focused on transportation.
According to Marca, the Foronda airport, in Vitoria, has been enabled to receive a new shipment of 350,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine since the Barajas airport in Madrid is still affected by the snow of the storm Filomena.
As cities continue to dig out through the beginning of the week, there is a significant threat of any slushy snow on roads freezing with below-normal temperatures forecast to linger into the coming days.
Filomena, named by the AEMet earlier in the week, developed in an unusual weather pattern, which will allow it to bring widespread impacts to the Iberian Peninsula.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys, it is a perfect combination of different weather features set up in a way we haven't seen since 2018 when Storm Emma ended the Beast from the East across western Europe.
"A southerly storm track due to high pressure in the east-central Atlantic, a stalled [storm system] over central Europe and cold air that funneled in from Scandinavia and northern Russia created this uncommon setup," stated Roys.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Winter Weather
Storm Filomena turns deadly, brings largest snowfall in decades to Madrid
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jan. 12, 2021 11:45 AM EST
Heavy snowfall blocked roadways and trapped vehicles in the Madrid region of Spain. The Spanish military was deployed to clear snow and help trapped motorists on Jan. 9.
At least four deaths across the country are being blamed on Storm Filomena as the storm wrecked havoc after bringing historic snowfall to the peninsula into the weekend.
Two of the deaths occurred in Fuengirola, located along the southern coast of Spain, when a car was swept away by floodwaters, according to the Guardian. Estepona, a town located to the west along the coast, reported 339 mm (13.35 inches) of rain from Wednesday to Saturday, while videos emerged from Malaga showing streets turned into raging rivers.
Across the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta, Spain, received 186 mm (7.32 inches) of rain from Wednesday to Friday morning, local time, cancelling numerous flights.
People shelter under umbrellas while walking along a promenade as the snow falls, in Pamplona, northern Spain, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. An unusual and persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with snow, freezing traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports that had suspended all services as the snow kept falling on Saturday. (AP Photo/Alvaro Barrientos)
Farther north, cold air that filtered into the region from Scandinavia and Russia lead to an outbreak of winter weather and record-breaking temperatures.
A new record low temperature for Spain was recorded on Thursday morning, local time, when the thermometer dropped to minus 35.6 degrees C (minus 32 degrees F) at Vega de Liordes at the Picos de Europe National Park near Leon in northern Spain.
On Tuesday morning, the temperature plummeted to 13 C (9 F) in Madrid. This fell just shy of breaking the January record low temperature of -15.6 C (4 F) set in 1945, according to AEMet.
This frigid air was also in place across the Ebro River Valley. A homeless man died in Zaragoza, where the low temperatures dropped to around 3 degrees below zero C (26-27 F) last Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Travel conditions began to deteriorate across portions of Spain on Thursday and Friday as snow and ice accumulated. On Friday morning, local time, Albacete reported 5.51 inches (14 cm) of snow. Just west, Balazote reported a staggering 11.81 inches (30 cm).
A woman tries to remove the snow from her car during a heavy snowfall in downtown Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. A persistent blizzard has blanketed large parts of Spain with 50-year record levels of snow, halting traffic and leaving thousands trapped in cars or in train stations and airports that suspended all services as the snow kept falling on Saturday. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas)
On Saturday morning, local time, Orgaz reported 56 cm (22 inches) of snow, while La Dehsea del Val and Molina de Aragon each reported 40 cm (15.75 inches) of snow.
For the first time since its creation, the Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMet) issued a red alert, the highest on their warning scale, for snow for the Madrid area. It is estimated that 33 cm (13 inches) of snow has fallen from Wednesday to Saturday, while there are reports of up to 60 cm (24 inches) in surrounding areas. One man was found buried in the snow.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The AEMet has stated that this is the largest snowfall since 1971, when around 20 cm (8 inches) fell in Madrid with up to 30 cm (12 inches) in surrounding areas.
The last time Madrid had accumulating snow was on Feb. 5, 2018, when parts of the city had up to 13 cm (5 inches). This snow forced the closure of two runways at Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport. The last time a widespread accumulation of 10 cm (4 inches) occurred in Madrid was on Feb. 23, 2005.
Schools across the Madrid area have announced that they will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday as recovery efforts continue. Snowball fights and dance parties broke out throughout the weekend as some celebrated the winter weather.
A child plays during heavy snowfall in Retiro park in Madrid, Spain, January 8, 2021. REUTERS/Juan Medina
The A-5, A-4 and A-3 were some of over 400 roads closed due to snow from Storm Filomena, according to El Pais. It is estimated that nearly 1,000 cars were trapped and reinforcements from the Army were called in to help dig people out.
According to the Directorate General of Traffic, 1,800 Traffic Police Agents, 685 traffic management staff and 1,200 snowplows are working to keep the roads clean. For the Community of Madrid, there are almost 40 snowplows working along with 150 people to keep the roads clean.
The Directorate General of Traffic added that residents should avoid traveling if possible despite the ongoing effort to keep roadways clear.
After roads were shut down and public transportation suspended, nurses could be seen trekking hours through the snow to relieve coworkers, some of whom were working for over 24 hours.
Spain has been battling one of the worst outbreaks of the coronavirus in Europe. And as vaccines are scheduled to arrive in Spain on Monday, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Minister of the Interior, and José Luis Ábalos, Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda are focused on transportation.
According to Marca, the Foronda airport, in Vitoria, has been enabled to receive a new shipment of 350,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine since the Barajas airport in Madrid is still affected by the snow of the storm Filomena.
As cities continue to dig out through the beginning of the week, there is a significant threat of any slushy snow on roads freezing with below-normal temperatures forecast to linger into the coming days.
Filomena, named by the AEMet earlier in the week, developed in an unusual weather pattern, which will allow it to bring widespread impacts to the Iberian Peninsula.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys, it is a perfect combination of different weather features set up in a way we haven't seen since 2018 when Storm Emma ended the Beast from the East across western Europe.
"A southerly storm track due to high pressure in the east-central Atlantic, a stalled [storm system] over central Europe and cold air that funneled in from Scandinavia and northern Russia created this uncommon setup," stated Roys.
Related:
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo