Snow covers mountains behind Malaga's Costa del Sol

Storm Ingrid has turned the province of Malaga into a wintry scene this weekend. After several days of rain and a sharp drop in temperatures, the snow has made an appearance in several mountainous areas, at a height of around 800 and 900 metres, leaving some unusual scenes and forcing extreme caution on some mountain roads.

The snowfall has mainly affected the main mountain ranges in inland and west of the province. The Maroma, in the Axarquía, was covered in a blanket of white at its highest peaks, an image visible from the eastern coast. Snowfall has also been recorded in the Sierra de las Nieves, Sierra Blanca, Sierra Bermeja, especially in the area of Los Reales behind Estepona, as well as in high sectors of the Sierra de Marbella and the Sierra de Tejeda.

This scenario has been caused, according to the experts, by the combination of cold air at altitude, precipitation and a westerly wind which has favoured the appearance of snow at a relatively low altitude for Malaga province.

According to weather expert José Luis Escudero, "The altitude [of the snow] was around 800 or 900 metres," he said, noting that the snow was widespread in the main mountain areas of Malaga.

Escudero stressed that this is a rare phenomenon in recent years, marked by milder than normal winters. "It is not the norm," he said, recalling that, although this type of episode has occurred in Malaga in the past, it has become less common in recent years.

Although large amounts of snow were not seen in the nearby towns and villages themselves, it did snow in the early hours of Saturday morning. In the case of Ronda, snow fell but did not settle in the town centre. Even so, the mountain ranges surrounding the town have a completely wintry appearance, with the peaks and slopes covered in white.

Where the situation has been most significant is in Sierra Bermeja, especially in the area around Los Reales, behind Estepona. The emergency services have warned that the snow is affecting some Andalusian roads and have recommended drivers to check the state of the roads before travelling, as well as to check whether it is necessary to use chains.

As reported by the Civil Protection of Estepona, the road up to the Refugio de Los Reales remains closed to traffic due to the accumulation of snow. However, the road remains open as far as the recreational area of Peñas Blancas, with access restricted only to the final section leading to the refuge, as a precautionary measure in view of the weather conditions.

This episode is part of the unstable weather that has been affecting the province since mid-week. Storm Ingrid has left rainfall in excess of 50mm in areas of the Serranía de Ronda, the Axarquía and mountainous areas of the western Costa del Sol, while on the coast and in the Guadalhorce Valley rainfall has been more irregular.

Although the probability of more snow is decreasing as the atmosphere stabilises, the snow that fell during the early hours of the morning has left one of the most outstanding wintry scenes of recent years in the Malaga mountain ranges, with a general call for caution when travelling by road.