Snowstorms paralyze parts of Spain

[sillydoll]

LUGO: Snowstorms are keeping several villages in the province of Lugo isolated and according to Municipal sources, it is almost impossible to move around the mountains of the province without the use of chains.
"We're screwed” said Pedrafita Mayor Jose Luis Raposo, who concluded that most of the rural area of his municipality is "incommunicado" - almost half of the municipality was without electricity for about 5 hours, yesterday.
Road passenger transport is also virtually paralyzed. The company ALSA which makes long-haul services with Asturias, Madrid, Valladolid and Leon suspended all its services until the afternoon.

MADRID - The Spanish army has freed 120 motorists who were snowbound in their vehicles, according to the Spanish media on Monday. A snow plow was used to paves its way to Roncesvalles. On the highway between the cities of Oviedo and Leon in the northwest of Spain was in some places more than a meter of snow. Some people were stuck in their vehicles hours.
In the north of the country nearly forty mountain passes closed to traffic. Also on the holiday island of Mallorca snow fell.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

great photo sil! To anyone who asks about winter walking.... I think seeing this photo should be enough of an answer as to what gear you might need to take with you! And it might be a reality check about what winter walking might really be about......
Margaret

 

[Rebekah Scott]

We got about two inches of snow last night and today out here on the plains. It was beautiful, but not life-threatening... but then I am from the Great Lakes region of the USA!

Most striking was going out this afternoon in low, bright sunshine and walking with the dogs up the Camino toward Terradillos de Templarios a few hours after the snowfall finished up. No one was out. No traffic moved. And the camino, always so well-trodden, was a trackless sheet of perfect white.

Tomorrow´s forecast says more snow is on the way. Vamos a ver!
Bundle up out there, pilgrims.
Reb.

 

[vjpulver]

Whew - lots of snow! I hope this bad weather will be played out by late April when I plan to be walking the Camino! Read on (excerpt from the news follows - see below)

Life is good - just cold and snowy!

"Ginn"
Countin' Down the Days in Sata Fe
http://pilgrimageofgratitude-mycamono.blogspot.com
______________________________________________

MADRID, January 9, 2009 (AFP) - Heavy snowfall disrupted road and rail transportation on Friday in Spain and forced the closure of Madrid's airport as a cold spell continued to grip much of Europe, officials said.

All four runways at Madrid's Barajas airport, one of Europe's busiest, closed at 11:50 am (1050 GMT) and will remain shut until further notice because of the rare snowfall and low visibility, the national airport authority AENA said.

"There are no arrivals, there are no departures," a spokeswoman for the authority told AFP.

A total 1,205 flights were scheduled to take off and land at the airport on Friday, the airport authority said in a statement.

Barajas is the fourth largest airport in terms of passenger traffic after London's Heathrow, Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt's main airport, according to the Geneva-based Airports Council International, an association of the world's airports.

By late morni ng, bad weather triggered nearly 400 kilometres (250 miles) of traffic jams around the Spanish capital, causing headaches for thousands of drivers, and dozens of accidents and collisions.

"Traffic is very difficult in the centre of Spain, many roads are cut especially in the Madrid region where it is recommended not to drive," a spokesman for the interior ministry's traffic management agency DGT told AFP.

State railway operator Renfe said trains were continuing to circulate throughout its network but at slower speeds because of the weather conditions, causing delays.

The regional government of Madrid set up a "crisis cabinet" to deal with the effects of the heavy snowfall, which was also hitting the region of Castilla-la-Mancha southeast of the capital as well as western Spain.

Santiago de Compostela, a destination for thousands of pilgrims in northwestern Spain, recorded the biggest snowfall in its history on Friday, according to the online editi on of daily newspaper El Mundo.

Office workers gathered at building entrances and windows in Madrid to watch the snow fall while others staged snowball fights on city sidewalks.

Up to 10 centimetres (four inches) of snow had accumulated in Madrid as temperatures in the region dropped as low as minus six degrees Celsius (21 Fahrenheit).

The national weather office predicts the inclement weather will continue until at least Saturday across much of Spain.

Editor's Note:

· Airline disruptions

Those planning to travel by air to or from this destination should check with their airline or travel agent immediately to reconfirm travel arrangements. If your flight has been canceled, request the next available flight. Traffic on roadways leading to airports may be considerably slower than normal. Airports are likely to become very crowded, and lines will be long. Allow a good measure of extra time to get to the airport, check in and go through security.

· Driving on ice/snow

Before driving in harsh winter conditions, make sure that your car is in good working order. Dress warmly and take along preventive supplies, such as a flashlight, windshield scraper, snow shovel and an abrasive material, such as sand, that you can use for traction if get you stuck. Most importantly, slow down, steer smoothly and leave a good measure of extra space between your vehicle and those around you. Shift to low gear when driving downhill.. Watch for ice on bridges and overpasses. If your car goes into a skid, don't brake, but ease off the accelerator and steer smoothly in the direction you want to go.

· Railway disruptions

Those planning to travel by train or subway in this region should check with the railway immediately to reconfirm travel arrangements. If your train has been canceled, request a reservation on the next available train. Traffic on roadways near the train station may be considerably more congested than normal. Stations are likely to become very crowded, lines will be long and tempers among other passengers may be short. Allow a good measure of extra time to get to the station and check in.
XXX

 

[Arn]

Gosh...I miss the snow!

I was thinking, as I sit in front of a roaring fire, maybe my next Camino should be in Winter. I miss the preparation for Winter operations. I miss getting up and setting out on a new snow fall. I miss being the only one out there, or nearly, making my Way putting the first step on virgin snow toward Santiago. I miss the approach to my next stop...stamping my boots, shaking the snow from my jacket and walking into a nearly deserted albergue or hostel.

Options...options!

Buen snow angel Camino

Arn

 

[sillydoll]

NEE DANKIE BOETIE!! No snow for me, thank you very much!
I am a Sarf Efrikan through and through and love, sunny skies, blue seas and braaivleis (barbecues). Those pictures of white-outs, blizzards, cars 90cm deep in snow, slushy icy paths have no appeal to me at all. I think if I arrived in Spain in winter I would feel like Susan in Narnia. Brrrrrrrr..............

 

[Rebekah Scott]

This is exceptional. This is my third winter here, and this is the first real snow I´ve seen in all that time. The hysteria is wonderful spectator sport... long as you´re comfortably ensconced in a warm chair with a good supply of comestibles nearby.

BTW, the pilgrims just keep coming. Some of the albergues that were supposed to be open by now (post-holidays) are using this as a reason to just stay in bed another week or so...including Terradillos de Templarios. The hardy pilgs, most of them lately from colder climes, don´t seem to feel the cold so much. Just the distance.
Next year will probably be balmy again.
reb.

 

[sillydoll]

It must be unbearable misery to be poor, marginalised or homeless in a cold country. I used to run a soup kitchen for the homeless. For the most part they were warm. In winter there is always a migration of homeless people from the colder north to the cities on the coast.

 

[sillydoll]

http://www.nortecastilla.es/20090122/lo ... 20955.html

A total of 102 students from the provinces of Burgos, Leon and Valladolid could not go to class today due to bad weather in the morning.
According to sources from the Ministry of Education, the data at 11.00 am today showed that 102 students, 28 in kindergarten and primary and 74 secondary and higher education, missed school because of snow and ice in roads.
The province was worst hit with 52 students from Valladolid institutes Almazán, Arcos de Jalón and San Leonardo centers and Early Childhood Education and Primary and Arcos de Jalón Casarejos that could not go to class because of the ice and snow.

State roads
Four mountains remained closed by snow in the provinces of Burgos and Leon and at ten o'clock it was necessary to use chains in five others, according to sources from the General Directorate of Traffic.
Specifically, in the province of Burgos it was necessary for the closure of Estancas de Trueba, and Sia Portillo de la Lunada Portillo, also in Leon, remains impassable to Fonte Cova.
Moreover, the chains were necessary at this time in the ports of Leonese Monteviejo, Pando, San Isidro, Las Señales and Foncebadon.

 

[Arn]

Then of course there's Virginia, USA...where if you even say the word snow...they close down all the schools and put the National Guard on alert.

You've got to give credit to the Spanish...they do what has to be done and without much complaint.

Arn

PS...But I like snow....in all its many attitudes.

 

[sillydoll]

http://leonoticias.com/frontend/leonoti ... 604-vst209

07/02/2009 - The storm continues
A total of 13 mountain passes remain closed to traffic this Saturday, while in nine others motorists are obliged to use chains.
Thus, one cannot travel in the province of Burgos in Estacas de Trueba, Portillo de la Sía y Portillo de Lunasa, Espinosa de los Monteros, and the Manquillo in Pineda de la Sierra.
Meanwhile, in the province of León there are 27 roads where driving is difficult and depends on the snow.



A herd of horses from the snow in the town of Port Manzanal. (Photo: César Sánchez)

 

[Javier Martin]

Really it's not usual this weather in Spain. On 7th february I tried to go by car from Madrid to Fisterra and I had to return only 60 km. after beginning the trip. In my house has snowed 5 or 6 times times winter, more than during the whole last 5 years.

Next weekend I'll walk Astorga-Ponferrada. Hopefully with godd, great weather.

Buen Camino,

Javier Martin
Madrid, Spain.