The outlook for this month is not looking good. Another week of this cold weather, plus the wind will return next week, maybe not so strong. The week after we could see a lot of disruption at the airport again, thats a long way off, so it could all change, so something to keep an eye on.
The highest weather station in the network of the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA) in the Madeira archipelago, located on Pico do Areeiro, recorded extreme temperatures between -1.7 ºC and -0.2 ºC, between 7 am and 1 pm today.
The air temperature at this station, located in the municipality of Santana, has recorded negative values throughout the week. For example, on Tuesday, March 3rd, the coldest day of this Autumn/Winter in the Region was recorded, with the lowest minimum and maximum temperatures, around -2.9 ºC.
Along with the low temperatures, there has also been little rainfall (1.8 mm).
Negative temperatures were also recorded in Chão do Areeiro, but not as low as in Pico do Areeiro. At 7:10 am today, the thermometers showed -0.2 ºC.
There is also evidence of precipitation.
For this Saturday, IPMA forecasts snowfall and the possibility of light showers on the northern slopes and in the highlands of Madeira Island, which, if they occur, will turn to snow in the highest points.
The IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere) explains that there is no “single temperature value below which precipitation occurs in the form of snow,” adding that this phenomenon is not frequent in Portugal and that weather forecasts “indicate an approximate minimum temperature for snowfall.”
“In fact, it can snow with air temperatures above 0 ºC,” he adds, noting that “liquid precipitation can occur when the air temperature is below 0 ºC.”