Extraordinary snowfall hits Mallorca, Spain

Snowfall and strong winds brought chaos to Spain’s holiday island of Mallorca on February 28, 2023, as Storm Juliette ravaged large parts of the country. The storm caused power cuts and blocked roads while melting snow formed torrents of water.

Despite the Mediterranean island’s mild winters, Storm Juliette caused mountainous areas of Mallorca to be covered in snow, with some parts receiving 1 meter (3 feet) of snow in just 24 hours.

Temperatures dropped to as low as -2 °C (28.4 °F), and snow was reported down to sea level for the first time since 2012. Waves of over 8 m (26 feet) were reported across the Balearic Islands.

According to Ruben del Campo, a spokesperson for the Spanish national weather office AEMET, this was an “extraordinary snowfall”.

Several landslides were reported in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the island, as well as an 8-meter (26 feet) wide sinkhole on a main avenue in the city.

In addition to the snowfall, strong winds with gusts of up to 117 km/h (73 mph) were also recorded, as well as heavy rainfall of more than 100 mm (4 inches) in several parts of the island.

While heavy rainfall is common in Mallorca during the autumn and winter months, heavy snowfall is a rare occurrence.

Meanwhile, temperatures plunged to as low as -16 °C (3 °F) in the northern province of Guadalajara, causing snow to fall in other cities like San Sebastian and Barcelona.

For Barcelona, this was the most intense snowfall since March 2018.

References:

¹ Snow blankets Mallorca as cold grips Spain – AFP – February 28, 2023

² Mallorca hit by heavy snow as Storm Juliette hits Spain – bringing freezing temperatures as low as -15.8C to the mainland – Sky News – February 28, 2023

Featured image: Storm Juliette on February 28, 2023. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-3