IN PICS: Skiers, snowboarders and a dogsled take to the streets of Madrid
As forecasters in Spain warned there was more to come on Saturday and Sunday, people in the capital (and beyond) enjoyed the snowiest weekend in 50 years.
Another 20 centimetres (nearly eight inches) was forecast to fall Saturday in Madrid and central Spain's lower plains, with up to 50 centimetres at higher altitudes.
The AEMET weather agency described the situation as "exceptional and most likely historic".
The snow converted Madrid's famous Puerta del Sol square into a winter sports venue, as skiers -- and even a man on a sled drawn by five dogs -- took to the normally busy thoroughfare.
Si pensabas que lo habías visto todo en esta vida, todavía te faltaba encontrarte con un trineo tirado por perros por las calles de #Hortaleza pic.twitter.com/d4ks6Rf9DU
— Hortaleza Periódico (@HortalezaPV) January 8, 2021
COLD WEATHER: Siberia? Nope, just central Madrid after the biggest snow fall in perhaps 40 or 50 years | #OOTT #LNG pic.twitter.com/CWYNlQpbo2
— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) January 9, 2021
The Local's editor Fiona Govan filmed people skiing through the square on Friday evening.
Skiing through Sol #madrid #nieve #snow pic.twitter.com/pFtd2i2Hlb
— Fiona Govan (@fifimadrid) January 8, 2021
She also filmed snowboarders taking advantage of the slopes around the university district of Malasaña.
Snowboarding the streets of Malasaña... ❄❄❄#nieve #Madrid #snow pic.twitter.com/naOgPiOTGx
— Fiona Govan (@fifimadrid) January 8, 2021
Here's a snowboarder by Cibeles square.
Here's a snowball fight taking place on Madrid's Gran Via:
Madrid's Gran Via today was the scene of an epic snowball battle interumpted briefly by a skier who swiftly became the target #NieveInMadrid #Filomena #NevadaMadrid #Madrid #nievemadrid #snow pic.twitter.com/cGsD4Y1ig1
— The Local Spain (@TheLocalSpain) January 9, 2021
On Saturday morning afternoon, people in Madrid returned to the city centre. Here's someone out for an early morning ski.
Photo: Benjamin Cremel/AFP
Here are people gathered outside the Royal Palace.
Photo: Gabriel Bouys/AFP
Here's someone skiing on Saturday afternoon in Puerto del Sol.
Photo: Gabriel Bouys/AFP
Even the city's nuns came out to enjoy the snow.
Nuns playing in the snow in Madrid pic.twitter.com/nUTBJPmeHw
— Rorate Caeli (@RorateCaeli) January 9, 2021
We're not quite sure what's happening here.
Jurassic Park Madrid. pic.twitter.com/9X3ar6PuCg
— Whatever. (@marinal_ps) January 9, 2021
People went tobogganing on the slopes in parks around the city centre.
SNOW IN SPAIN! Madrid had its first snow in a decade and the heaviest snow since 1984! Parts of Spain saw temps down to -32F which hasn’t happened since 1956. Video: @AP pic.twitter.com/SK0IYb4sVy
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) January 8, 2021
Apart from Madrid, the regions of Aragon, Valencia, Castilla La Mancha and Catalonia were the worst-hit by the snowstorms.
The historic city of Toledo asked the army for help clearing the streets, as did Albacete in the southeast, public television reported.
Here's someone snowboarding down one of Toledo's hillier streets.
Buenos días desde la pista de snow de Toledo.#filomena #snow #Toledo #filomenatoledo pic.twitter.com/wmqbsAk7AB
— Héctor J. (@hectorjmg) January 9, 2021
Forecasters said the heavy snow would continue until Sunday, before Storm Filomena begins moving northeast, although temperatures would remain exceptionally low.
Before the snowfall began Thursday morning, temperatures had already plummeted to an unofficial record low of -34.1 degrees Celsius (-29.38 Fahrenheit) at a ski station in the central Pyrenees on Wednesday.
Filomena has also brought intense rain and high winds to the Canary Islands as well as Spain's southern coast.
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Si pensabas que lo habías visto todo en esta vida, todavía te faltaba encontrarte con un trineo tirado por perros por las calles de #Hortaleza pic.twitter.com/d4ks6Rf9DU
— Hortaleza Periódico (@HortalezaPV) January 8, 2021
COLD WEATHER: Siberia? Nope, just central Madrid after the biggest snow fall in perhaps 40 or 50 years | #OOTT #LNG pic.twitter.com/CWYNlQpbo2
— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) January 9, 2021
Skiing through Sol #madrid #nieve #snow pic.twitter.com/pFtd2i2Hlb
— Fiona Govan (@fifimadrid) January 8, 2021
Snowboarding the streets of Malasaña... ❄❄❄#nieve #Madrid #snow pic.twitter.com/naOgPiOTGx
— Fiona Govan (@fifimadrid) January 8, 2021
Madrid's Gran Via today was the scene of an epic snowball battle interumpted briefly by a skier who swiftly became the target #NieveInMadrid #Filomena #NevadaMadrid #Madrid #nievemadrid #snow pic.twitter.com/cGsD4Y1ig1
— The Local Spain (@TheLocalSpain) January 9, 2021
Nuns playing in the snow in Madrid pic.twitter.com/nUTBJPmeHw
— Rorate Caeli (@RorateCaeli) January 9, 2021
Jurassic Park Madrid. pic.twitter.com/9X3ar6PuCg
— Whatever. (@marinal_ps) January 9, 2021
SNOW IN SPAIN! Madrid had its first snow in a decade and the heaviest snow since 1984! Parts of Spain saw temps down to -32F which hasn’t happened since 1956. Video: @AP pic.twitter.com/SK0IYb4sVy
— Ginger Zee (@Ginger_Zee) January 8, 2021
Buenos días desde la pista de snow de Toledo.#filomena #snow #Toledo #filomenatoledo pic.twitter.com/wmqbsAk7AB
— Héctor J. (@hectorjmg) January 9, 2021
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