Late-week storm to unleash rain and chilly winds in Spain, Portugal and France

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

February 25,2016; 10:23PM,EST

 

 

A moisture-laden storm from the Atlantic Ocean will bring a variety of disruptive weather to the Iberian Peninsula and South of France Friday into Saturday.
The storm will arrive with a band of rain sweeping from west to east across Portugal and Spain during Friday and Friday evening.
The steadiest rain with pockets of heavier downpours will reach Santiago de Compostela, Porto and Lisbon in the morning before spreading to Seville, Cordoba and Madrid in the afternoon and then Murica and Barcelona at night.

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The downpours threaten to cause poor visibility and ponding on roadways, which can result in slow and hazardous travel conditions. Localized flooding issues in low-lying and poor drainage areas may also arise in Portugal and northern and western parts of Spain.
The downpour threat will lessen as the band of rain reaches the immediate coast from Castellon de la Plana to Almeria and Marbella. On the other hand, moisture flowing into the southern slopes of the Pyrenees will heighten the flash flood risk on Friday night.
Farther north in the Cantabrian Mountains, the rain will persist at times Friday night and Saturday. Along the northern slopes, rainfall totals of 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) can be expected with local amounts up to 100 mm (4 inches), elevating the risk for flooding throughout the region.

Outside of any downpours and isolated flooding, rainfall across southern Portugal and southern Spain will be largely beneficial as drought conditions are ongoing over the region. Rainfall will generally average 6-12 mm (0.25-0.50 of an inch); however, up to 25 mm (1 inch) is possible from Granada northeast to Albacete.
The rain will taper to showers the rest of Spain and Portugal for Saturday, while a steadier rain continues across Catalonia.
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Enough cold air will be drawn into the backside of the storm for snow to develop in the mountains. A total of 20-40 cm (8-16 inches) will make for extremely treacherous travel, but will be a boon for the ski industry in the Cantabrians and Pyrenees.
The colder air will be ushered in by gusty winds, which will cause AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures to be held well below actual temperatures across all of Portugal and Spain. RealFeel Temperatures will only climb slightly above freezing in Madrid on Saturday, forcing residents to bundle up before heading outdoors.
Minor coastal flooding may occur along the coast of northwestern Spain and Portugal at high tide due to the winds.

While some light rainfall is expected in western France Friday afternoon and Friday night, the biggest impacts will occur from Saturday into Saturday night.
As the storm moves eastward, it will strengthen and pull moisture from the Mediterranean northward into southern France and cause heavy rainfall.
Areas from Narbonne to Montpellier, Marseille and Nice are most likely to get heavy rainfall and flooding. Rainfall of 25-50 mm (1-2 inches) is expected in a 12-hour period, leading to rapid rise in water levels and urban flooding. Localized rainfall amounts exceeding 100 mm (4 inches) are possible through Saturday night.
Gusty winds will also develop and bring the risk of rough seas and minor coastal flooding to the southern coast of France for the first half of the weekend.
Additional light rainfall is expected across southern France on Sunday, but the heaviest rain and flooding threat will shift into northern Italy. Stronger winds on the storm's backside will develop around the Gulf of Lion Sunday night into Monday.
Content contributed by AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.