Snow and cold waves: what to do when Spain freezes

Key rules

• Warnings: Check the colour-coded warning for your exact zone, because snow and cold thresholds differ by area.
• Travel: Authorities advise staying home in heavy snow, as roads close and chains are required.
• Water meter: Insulate the meter box before frost, because a burst meter inside your property is usually the owner's cost.
• Burst pipe: Close the stopcock immediately if a pipe bursts.

Where snow and cold actually happen

Snow is rare in most Spanish cities but very disruptive when it comes. It is common in the mountains: the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian range, the Sierra de Guadarrama and the Sierra Nevada. Northern and interior plateau cities such as Burgos, León, Soria, Teruel, Ávila and Segovia get snow on several days each winter.

Madrid sees light snow on a few days in many winters. Heavy snow is rare. The Mediterranean coast, the south and the Canary Islands almost never see it, apart from high peaks such as Teide.

Cold waves hit the interior in some form most years. Strong ones come a few times per decade.

Storm Filomena, on 8 to 9 January 2021, shows what a rare event does. About 50 cm of snow fell in Madrid, followed by temperatures near -10 °C or lower. The airport closed, roads blocked, thousands of drivers were stranded, trains and the metro were disrupted, schools closed and supplies ran short. The army's emergency unit was deployed. Cities have since worked on snow clearing, salt stocks and warning protocols.

Know the warnings

Spain's weather service (AEMET) issues colour-coded warnings by zone: yellow, orange and red. Check the warnings for your exact zone, because thresholds differ from place to place.

• Snow: warnings depend on how much settles in 24 hours, and thresholds are lower on low ground. In plain zones, yellow can start at around 2 cm and orange at around 5 cm. In mountain zones, yellow starts around 5 to 10 cm.
• Cold: warnings use temperature thresholds set for each zone.
• Cold wave: this officially means at least three days when at least 10% of reference stations record very low maximum or minimum temperatures, below the 5th percentile of the winter series.

What closes and what to expect

When heavy snow arrives, the national traffic authority (DGT) and regional traffic bodies close or restrict roads. Expect chain requirements, bans on heavy goods vehicles and closed mountain passes. The Guardia Civil de Tráfico enforces this.

Regional authorities may suspend school classes and school transport, especially in rural areas. Trains, buses and flights are often delayed or cancelled, and public transport may run a reduced service.

Cities clear main roads with salt and ploughs. Where snow is rare, as in Madrid, the response can be slow and side streets may stay icy for days. Authorities advise staying home and avoiding travel. If you own a car in a cold area, carry snow chains or fit winter tyres. The decision below helps you choose whether to go out.

Protect your pipes and water meter

Frozen pipes are the most common home problem in a cold snap.

1. Insulate exposed pipes and the meter box (contador) with foam sleeves or a thermal cover. The meter is often outdoors or in a stairwell.
2. On very cold nights, keep a slight drip running, keep the heating on low and open the cupboards under sinks.
3. Before a long absence, close the main stopcock (llave de paso) and drain the pipes.
4. If a pipe freezes, thaw it slowly with a hairdryer. Never use a flame.
5. If a pipe bursts, close the stopcock straight away.

A meter that freezes and bursts inside your property is usually the owner's responsibility. Ask the water company and your home insurer who pays. If you rent, tell your landlord at once.

Prepare before it arrives

Stock water, food, light, warm clothes and a safe way to heat your home. The checklist below covers it, including the carbon monoxide danger of indoor braziers and camping stoves.

Choosing between options

Should you travel or stay home when snow is forecast?

• Stay at home: Your area has an orange snow warning (about 5 cm in 24 hours on low ground) or a cold wave is under way.

• Travel with care: Only a yellow warning applies (about 2 cm in 24 hours on low ground), your trip is essential, you carry chains or winter tyres and the roads are open.

• Postpone the trip: Roads on your route are closed or need chains and you have none, or you plan to cross a mountain pass.

Go only if the warning is yellow at most, the roads are open and your car has chains or winter tyres; otherwise stay put until the warning drops.

Before a snowfall or cold wave: what to prepare

Before a snowfall or cold wave

• Check the weather warnings for your area, which cover today, tomorrow and the day after, and watch for yellow, orange or red levels.

• Stock water and food: keep 2 to 3 litres of water per person per day and food that needs no cooking for at least 72 hours.

• Adjust your food and water for children, older people, pets and medical needs.

• Gather a battery or crank radio, a torch with spare batteries, a power bank for your phone and a list of emergency numbers including 112.

• Pack a first-aid kit, your regular medicines, warm clothing and blankets.

• Never use a brasero (charcoal brazier), barbecue or camping stove indoors, because carbon monoxide is odourless and deadly.

• Keep gas, butane, paraffin or wood heaters serviced, leave a small opening for ventilation and switch them off before you sleep.

• Move heaters away from curtains and furniture, and do not dry clothes on them.

• Find your main stopcock (llave de paso) so you can close it quickly if a pipe bursts, and shut it and drain the pipes before a long absence.

• Fill the fuel tank and put snow chains, a shovel and a warm blanket in the car if you drive.

Frequently asked questions

Does Madrid get heavy snow often?

No, Madrid sees snow on a few days in many winters, mostly light, and heavy snow is rare. The big exception was January 2021, when storm Filomena left about 50 cm in the city, closed the airport and stranded thousands of drivers.

How does the weather service define a cold wave?

A cold wave is a period of at least three days when at least 10% of the reference stations record very low maximum or minimum temperatures, below the 5th percentile of the winter series. Cold warnings are set by zone, so the trigger differs from one area to another.

How much snow triggers a snow warning?

In low-lying plain zones, a yellow snow warning may start at about 2 cm in 24 hours and orange at about 5 cm.

Who pays if my water meter freezes and bursts?

A frozen meter that bursts is usually the owner's responsibility when it is inside the property. Close the stopcock (llave de paso) straight away, then contact the water company and your home insurance.

Should I drive when heavy snow arrives?

No, authorities advise staying at home and avoiding travel. Roads can close or require chains, and heavy goods vehicles can be banned. If you must go, carry chains or winter tyres.