Snow level in Picos de Europa

Climate, snowfall and avalanches in Picos de Europa

Picos de Europa is the quintessential Atlantic limestone range, with mean precipitation above 2000 mm on the summits and very high frequency of fog and wet snow. The snow season runs October to May, peaking in January and February. The snow level is structurally low: 800-1200 m with Atlantic storms and drops to 400-600 m with maritime polar air (recent record: February 2018, 200 m on the coastal platform). Snow depth at Lagos de Covadonga (1100 m) frequently exceeds 1 m in midwinter, with historical maxima close to 3 m in the Urrieles. Avalanche risk is moderate to high but less publicized than in the Pyrenees; the biggest hazard is wet snow that quickly turns to ice plates, dangerous for hikers. The all-time depth record was set in February 1985 at Pena Vieja: 5.2 m. Three ski resorts operate in the area: Fuentes de Invierno, San Isidro and Alto Campoo, all between 1500 and 2155 m. The Picos hosted small glaciers until the 19th century (Jou Negro); only permanent snowfields remain, in steady retreat. The National Park, the first in Spain (1918, originally Mount Covadonga), owes part of its biodiversity to the snow regime.