Barely five years have passed and the memory of a historical milestone is manifested in the collective unconscious: Filomena and Francis are two names that not only have in common the fact that they begin with the letter F. 2026 has not given meteorological truce in its first days. The Francis squall, which developed in the Atlantic and was pushed towards the peninsula by a powerful wet current, has brought with it a winter cocktail of rain, wind and snow that is reminiscent of historical episodes such as Filomena, although with its own particularities.
The system, which began by lashing the Canary Islands with force, has moved rapidly towards the southwest peninsular, leaving heavy rainfall in Andalusia and, since Saturday, moving towards the center. The arrival of a mass of continental arctic air from the north has caused a sharp drop in temperatures and has plummeted the snow level, which already threatens to cover white several capitals, including the city of Madrid.
A cold front that could alter the Three Kings Parade
According to the AEMET, Sunday 4 and Monday January 5 are shaping up to be the most critical days. Snowfall could reach heights as low as 500 meters, which places the capital within the potentially affected areas. It is not ruled out that flakes may fall during the hours before the traditional Three Kings Parade, which could compromise both logistics and public attendance.
Minimum temperatures will plummet, with negative values in the mountains and frost in much of the metropolitan area. Maximum temperatures will not exceed five degrees in many areas of the Community, and the wind chill will be even lower due to the northeast wind, which will intensify the cold.
Will Madrid be snowed in again?
Although a storm as severe as the one experienced in January 2021 is not expected, uncertainty continues to mark the forecasts. The encounter between the humid air from the Atlantic and the icy polar flow could trigger locally significant snowfall, especially in areas such as the east of the Community, the mountains or even some high neighborhoods north of Madrid capital.
In parallel, the Community of Madrid has already activated winter protocols to deal with possible incidents. From the City Council it is recommended to check the state of the roads and avoid unnecessary trips, especially between January 4 and 6.