Sunny, cold and frosty weekend in Portugal
After a year-end with abnormally high conditions, although not unusual – in general – because there are precedents in this regard, the situation has changed considerably. The last days of 2021 and the first days of 2022 were characterized by a widespread stability, accompanied by maximum temperatures exceeding 20 °C in many regions, not only in the South, but also on the North coast or in points in the Center Region. The 25°C goal was surpassed in Zambujeira do Mar (26.4°C), for example.
However, the meteorological panorama changed and the beginning of this week was marked by the incursion of two small Atlantic fronts that allow isolation throughout the country, although with greater accumulation in Minho and Douro Litoral. Since yesterday that, due to the incursion of a polar air mass from the north as conditions lowered compliance and, on this Thursday, a large part of the Trás-os-Montes Region woke up with ice and frost thanks to the intense cold.
Installs are already in decline
This Thursday, thanks to the arrival of a new front that caused an increase in cloudiness in the Peninsular Northwest, there was and still may be some traces of rain in Alto Minho, but very dispersed and residual. In the south of Minho, the panorama is cloudy or very cloudy, but not particularly cloudy.. From Coimbra to the Algarve, the sky has been and will be little cloudy or sunny.
No sign of snow, despite some accumulation on Tuesday and Wednesday. The scenario today is no longer that, because although it is very cold, exclusion exclusion simply does not allow snow to occur. Despite that, the intense cold, associated with the arrival of the polar and the abrupt drop in temperatures, led to the formation of ice and frosts at dawn in Reis in northeastern Portugal (Bragança – Trás-os-Montes). The prevailing winds blow light from the west and northwest across the country.
Tomorrow, with the anticyclone gaining ground, a very stable meteorological situation is expected, with sun and even a slight increase in temperatures from the north to the south of the country. may be generated thermal inversions in valleys and cities surrounded by mountains, as well as the occurrence of fogs and formation of ice and frosts in some places in the interior North and Center, such as the valleys of the Northeast Transmontano and Beira Alta. The wind will turn to the Northeast over a large part of the continental territory.
Cold weekend, especially on Saturday
On Saturday the anti-cyclonic situation will result in a cloudy or clear sky, although with morning mists/fogs in several areas of the interior North / Center (persisting in the valleys of the Northeast Transmontano and Beira Alta). Rain is not expected anywhere in the country, but the skies will be cloudy throughout the North Region.
Minimum and maximum Temps are expected to decrease practically all over the country on this day, in addition to the frost and ice formation that will be even more abundant and widespread, as they expand to more districts in the country, such as Viana do Castelo, Braga, Porto, Vila Real, Viseu, Bragança, Guarda and Castelo Branco. The wind will tend to blow light from the North / Northwest in the country, but in some areas it may temporarily emerge from the Northeast.
On Sunday the anticyclonic situation will remain, but despite this, the traces of a new front will give rise to some showers in Minho, Douro Litoral, Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and in some points of Beira Interior. Up to the Tagus there will be cloudy or slightly cloudy skies with open air, and from the Tagus to the Algarve there will be little cloudy or clear.
A rise in temperatures is also expected.. However, it still needs to appear. very punctual frosts in the valleys of the northeast of Trás-os-Montes, and at points in the districts of Guarda and Castelo Branco. The Northwest wind will continue to prevail, blowing more strongly.
And in the Archipelagos?
In Madeira, a mild and rainy environment will prevail., except on Sunday, with a moderate to strong Northeast wind. In the Azores the available weather, variable alternating clouds sun and showers over the next few days, accompanied by a variable wind regime, bullet from the North and then almost exclusively blowing from the South quadrant.