Check the current snow level for every Spanish mountain range, with 5-day forecast, interactive map and affected ski resorts. Calculated using Open-Meteo (0 degree isotherm with humidity correction).
Tap a range to see snow level, forecast and ski resorts.
Top peaks with snowfall in the past 3 hours according to Open-Meteo.
| Peak | Range | Elevation | Temp | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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The snow level is the altitude (in meters above sea level) above which precipitation falls as snow rather than rain. It does not coincide with the 0 degree free-air isotherm because snowflakes partially melt while crossing the warmer air layers below. The European rule of thumb is to subtract 200 to 300 meters from the freezing level height, although this offset depends on humidity: very dry air makes the snow level drop, saturated air keeps it close to the freezing level.
At WhatAWeather we use the freezing_level_height variable from the Open-Meteo ICON-EU model, combined with the surface dew point (Td). When Td is low (dry air), evaporative cooling brings snow 300 to 400 m below the freezing level (low snow line). When Td is high, the snow level is essentially the freezing level. The simplified formula is: snow_level = freezing_level - max(120, (T - Td) * 90) in meters.
Snow level drives daily mountain life in Spain. It determines whether a mountain pass goes from rain to black ice, whether a ski resort opens its lower runs, whether a river flood wave will be dampened by accumulated snow, or whether downstream irrigation will receive delayed water during the spring thaw. With an Atlantic storm at a low snow level (1000 m), it can snow in any peninsular province except the coast, while with a high snow level (2000 m) only the Pyrenees, Picos and Sierra Nevada accumulate.
0 degree isotherm: altitude where free-air temperature is 0 degrees. Freezing level: same concept. Foehn: descending wind that clears clouds on the lee side and raises the snow level several hundred meters in a few hours. Thermodynamic snow level: theoretical value including humidity. Dew point (Td): temperature at which current air would saturate; a large T-Td means dry air. Wet-bulb temperature: used to refine the snow level; when it reaches 1.3 degrees, snow typically survives to the ground. Effective snow level: the actually observed one, which can differ 100-200 m from the calculated due to local effects such as thermal inversion in closed valleys or sea breeze.