The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has activated yellow warnings for rain, snow, wind, and waves in seven provinces for this Saturday, January 3, 2026, while an Arctic air mass will arrive on Sunday, bringing snow at low altitudes and intense cold until Epiphany.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) forecasts a weekend marked by meteorological instability in Spain. This Saturday, yellow warnings are activated for snowfalls in Cantabria (Liébana, center and Villaverde valley, Ebro Cantabria), Burgos, León, and Palencia. Huelva will be on alert for rain, while waves will affect A Coruña, Lugo, Las Palmas (Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura), and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (El Hierro and Tenerife), with orange level in Lanzarote and La Palma. Wind will trigger warnings in Las Palmas (Lanzarote) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, and Tenerife).
Persistent and locally heavy precipitation is expected in southwestern Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, and around Cabo de la Nao, possibly with storms. At the end of the day, an influx of Arctic air from the northern Iberian Peninsula will bring weak snowfalls at low altitudes in the Pyrenees, Iberian range, eastern Cantabrian mountains, and upper Ebro.
On Sunday, the Francis storm will interact with the Arctic mass, intensifying snowfalls in the northern and eastern half of the peninsula, with altitudes above 500 meters in the southern Iberian and Pyrenees. Aemet has issued a special warning for snow at low altitudes from Sunday to Tuesday, with a 40-70% probability, affecting populated areas and roads. Monday will be the peak day, with significant snowfalls in the interior of the eastern half, dropping to 300 meters in central and northern Comunidad Valenciana, and possible accumulations of over five centimeters in eastern Aragon and western Catalonia.
In Madrid, intense precipitation is forecast for Sunday afternoon, snow in the Sierra from 600-700 meters, and a notable temperature drop, setting a cold scene for Epiphany eve. Temperatures will fall below normal, with widespread frosts in the peninsular interior on Monday and Tuesday, moderate in plateaus and strong in mountain systems like the Pyrenees.
Aemet warns that January 6 could be the coldest Epiphany in 40 years, comparable to 2021 before Filomena. The week of January 5-11 will be very cold, with a possible temperature rise starting January 7 or 8. For snow enthusiasts, favorable accumulations are expected in the Cantabrian Mountains, Pyrenees, and Iberian System, reminiscent of Filomena but without its magnitude.
