December has already seen record snowfall in the Pyrenees, but even heavier precipitation is forecast from Wednesday, while more snowfalls are also expected in the Alps.
The Pyrenees saw prolonged snowfall over the weekend, averaging 50 to 70 cm of snow at more than 1,200 meters above sea level and up to 1 meter in some areas in the west of the mountain range.
According to Météo-France, the level of snowfall in the western Pyrenees is outstanding for this time of year, especially since as late as November 24 the amount of snow was considered “very low.” According to forecasters, the winter snow cover below 2,000 meters – the average is now 1 meter at 1,500 meters – is one of the best for early December and corresponds to normal levels in mid-January.
The 1.37 m of snow recorded on December 6 at Arette La Pierre Saint-Martin (1,650 m) is a record for this month since the weather station opened in December 1971. The 1.36 m recorded at the Soum Couy automatic weather station is among the four highest since the station opened in January 1997.
A record 2 m of snow was also recorded at the Cauterets meteorological observation network post in the Upper Pyrenees on December 6, thanks to 1 m of snow that fell from Friday to Monday, and the 1.75 m of snow recorded at lac d’Ardiden (2,445 m) is the record since the station opened in October 1995.
The new precipitation, due to begin Tuesday evening, Dec. 7, is related to the weather system “Storm Barr,” which is currently raging in the southwest of Ireland and is expected to move across Ireland into Great Britain.
Although wind speeds in France will not reach the 157 km/h recorded at Fastnet, off the coast of southwest Ireland, earlier Tuesday, strong gusts are forecast for northwest France and strong seas are expected on the Atlantic coast.
Heavy snow is again forecast for the Pyrenees on Wednesday. “Snow will fall again at relatively low altitudes … and the precipitation could affect the road network,” Météo-France warned in its Monday evening bulletin.
“More than 1 m more snow could fall in the Pyrenees.”
With the new snow, however, there is a warning. “Snow depths exceeding 2 meters on the ground will become an emergency in most of the area in the first half of December,” the forecaster said, warning of an increased risk of avalanches.
In the Alps, the remnants of the weather system are expected to bring significant snowfall, especially in the western and southern areas, and another storm from the northwest will reach the mountain range Friday.
