Continental Portugal will be affected over the weekend by a maritime polar air mass that will cause snow to fall at lower elevations and temperatures near or below 0.°C in the interior of the North and Center.
In a statement, the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) explained that the weather in continental Portugal will be influenced, between December 19 and 21, by a “vast depression region located between Iceland and the Iberian Peninsula”.
This situation will be characterized by the passage of associated cold frontal surfaces and by the subsequent transport of a maritime polar air mass over the continent from Saturday afternoon, the IPMA indicated.
On Friday, the “occurrence of precipitation sometimes strong is forecast, with gradual easing from the early hours of the morning from the western coast toward the interior”.
From the afternoon the precipitation will be light and infrequent, restricting itself to regions near the eastern border and from Saturday morning periods of rain are forecast on the North and Center coast, which will extend to the other regions throughout the day, turning into showers.
The showers will remain on the 21st and may occasionally be hail in the North and Center regions, the institute stressed.
IPMA warned that precipitation will occur in the form of snow above an altitude of 1400/1600 meters, predicting a sharp drop in the snow line from the end of Saturday afternoon to 800/1000 meters.
On Sunday, the snow line will remain low, potentially descending to 600 meters at times.
“Snow accumulation can reach values between 5 and 15 cm on various ranges in the North and Center regions, potentially exceeding 20 to 30 cm at the highest points of the ranges, for example Serra da Estrela, Gerês, Larouco, Alvão/Marão and Montemuro,” he highlighted.
IPMA also noted that the minimum temperature will record values close to or below 0.°C in the interior North and Center, being higher in the remaining regions, with the highest values recorded along the coastal strip of the Center and South regions, around 10 to 12.°C.
Maximum temperatures are expected to vary between 10 and 16.°C, being below 10.°C in the interior North and Center.
“There will be favorable conditions for ice formation on the roads in the higher regions of the North and Center,” IPMA also advanced.
The institute also pointed to strong maritime agitation that will be felt on the western coast, with northwest waves between 4 and 6 meters.
