Snow closes 40 roads and 22 mountain passes
Airports were affected in Andalucía and the cold wave even swept down as far as the Mediterranean
The whole of Spain was in the grip of a wave of wintery weather last weekend which had swept down form northern Europe, even as far as the Mediterranean coast. Snow, intensive cold, rain and wind all over the country set Civil Protection services constantly on the alert in 15 regions (all of them except Madrid and the Balearic Islands).
By Monday the inclement weather, which had made road transport difficult and caused delays at airports, was easing off. Railways were also affected, especially in the Levante region, but no lines had to close, said Renfe, the railway company.
The worst problems caused by ice and and snowfalls were in the north, but Andalucía, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha were also severely hit. Civil Protection authorities, working overtime with snow ploughs and salt spreading equipment, warned that the consequences could well be avalanches in the Pyrenees and flooding as temperatures rose during the week.
Twenty-two mountain passes and 40 stretches of main and secondary road were closed when the snowfalls were at their worst on Sunday and chains were compulsory on many thoroughfares. Around 20 villages in the north of the province of Palencia, with a population of 560, were completely cut off.
Traffic in and out of Valencia, Oviedo, Santiago de Compostela and Granada airports was affected as ice delayed the departure of flights on Sunday morning. Flights in and out of Seville Airport had to be diverted to Jerez de la Frontera for the same reason.
Snow fell in places as low at 300 metres above sea level in the Andalusian provinces of Almeria, Cordoba, Granada, Jaén, Huelva and Seville. The situation was similar in Barcelona, Lérida, Murcia and Alicante, while places as low as 200 metres above sea level were covered in white in the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz and three in the Basque region.
Snow even arrived at spots where it had not been seen for at least a generation. In the town of écija, in the province of Seville, 100 metres above sea level and popularly known as the frying pan of Andalucía for its sizzling summer temperatures, the inhabitants were amazed to wake up to a covering of white. It was the first time for 30 years, but the snow soon turned to rain – over ten litres per square metre poured down during the day.