An unusual weather pattern in recent days has produced unusually cold temperatures in Spain. High pressure has been in charge across the UK, and to the south of the high, easterly winds have been raging across Spain. Such Easterly winds have driven in much colder than average temperatures, in fact close to 10C below normal in some areas! It is also precipitation laden, and much of this precipitation has been falling as snow on higher grounds.
The following weather chart shows temperature anomalies at present across Europe. Notice that Spain is under the blue colours, indicating that temperatures there are currently below normal.
It has been causing issues on the roads, with many highways on higher grounds blocked by wintry conditions. Strong winds have also helped produce disruption, with some drifts blocking major highways, i.e. near Alicante and Madrid. Of course, the coastal areas are too low to have experienced such snow, but you don’t have to go far inland to see snow and freezing conditions.
Snowfall is not uncommon in the Spanish mountains, especially in Winter. However, this particular spell has been rather unusual in that the snow has been quite widespread and fallen to fairly low elevations.