Heavy snow and high winds cause disruption across Catalonia

The first major snowfalls of the winter arrived in northern Catalonia on Saturday night.

A sudden drop in temperatures favored significant snow accumulation in various parts of the Pyrenees.

Snowfall totals exceeded 20 centimeters across the region, especially in the western Pyrenees, including areas such as Vall d'Aran, Alta Ribagorça and Pallars Sobirà.

Among the most significant measurements were 27 centimeters in Tavascan, 16 centimeters in Vielha and 13 centimeters in Puigcerdà, according to the Catalan Meteorological Service (MeteoCat).

The 112 emergency number received around 60 calls related to the heavy snowstorm, mainly from second home hotspots such as Cerdanya, Vall d'Aran and Alt Urgell.

Firefighters assisted two vehicles stranded in the snow, with all passengers unharmed.

Two roads were closed due to snow: the C-28 at Port de la Bonaigua and the BV-4031 at Coll de la Creueta.

In addition, chains are required on several other routes, including the N-230 at the Vielha tunnel and the N-141 at Bossòst. 

Two injured by high winds and over 1,500 calls

Strong winds have also caused significant disruptions in Catalonia this weekend, with gusts reaching up to 120 km/h in several areas.

Unusually, the Barcelona region was among the affected areas, typically not prone to such strong winds. The 112 emergency hotline received nearly 1,600 calls, with the majority coming from Barcelona, Tarragonès, and Baix Camp counties.

Most calls were recorded on Saturday evening and night, prompting firefighters to respond to approximately 125 wind-related incidents just in the city of Barcelona. 

The strong winds injured two people on Saturday. In Cornellà de Llobregat, near Barcelona, a woman sustained serious injuries after being struck by a falling tree and is now hospitalized in critical condition. In Balaguer, Lleida, a man suffered minor injuries caused by a falling Christmas decoration.

R3 Rodalies line disrupted

The R3 Rodalies train line was disrupted between Ripoll and Puigcerdà from Saturday evening to Sunday midday due to the adverse weather conditions. 

With the service now restored, the entire Rodalies network is operating normally. However, on Saturday afternoon, the southern region faced additional disruptions caused by fallen trees due to the strong winds.