Andorra's November: mild start, late cold snap brings heavy snow and gale-force winds

November in Andorra was slightly warmer and wetter than average, Acció Climàtica reported. The mean temperature recorded at the FEDA hydroelectric station was 6.9 °C, an anomaly of +0.6 °C. The month’s highest reading was 19.3 °C at Borda Vidal on 1 November, and the lowest −16.7 °C at the Fonts d’Arinsal (2,681 m) on 21 November.

Temperatures showed strong contrasts. From the start of the month until the 18th, high pressure and a persistent southwest flow kept daily values above the climatological mean, producing an extended spell of unusually warm, dry November weather. The pattern reversed from the 19th, with the coldest days falling over the weekend of 22–23 November. On 21 November Acció Climàtica registered a frost day — maximum temperatures did not exceed 0 °C — the first November frost recorded since 1999.

Total accumulated precipitation across the centre of the country reached 136% of the climatological mean. Precipitation was heavier in the north (147.8 mm at Sorteny) and closer to normal in the south (66.2 mm at Borda Vidal); the mean across all stations was 97 mm and the FEDA station recorded 116.5 mm.

The wettest day was 6 November, when most stations measured more than 25 mm and the season’s first substantial snowfall occurred, with continuous snow above 1,800 m and depths up to 20 cm. The storm dubbed “Claudia” on 14–15 November produced intense local rates — 42.4 mm in 24 hours at Sorteny and 7.7 mm in 30 minutes at La Comella — which fell as rain at lower levels and initially brought mud.

Precipitation between 20 and 25 November, coinciding with the colder spell, created a wintry landscape with snow down to all elevations; strong winds during these events modelled the snow and redistributed accumulations. Notable gusts included up to 192 km/h at Tosa d’Espiolets (Soldeu) on 14 November and 148 km/h at the Fonts d’Arinsal on 26 November, contributing to snow transport and variable crust and drift conditions.