Snow in Juviles

Despite good snow higher up in the Sierra Nevada where the ski resort is, there hasn't been much white stuff at our altitude so far this winter.  Yesterday, though, the snow came down to meet us.

Thanks to Abi for sending me the shot.  We won't get a chance to visit our house till Easter, although we've got guests from Yorkshire arriving in a couple of weeks, who may be in time for some snow.

Check my stratus

Annie bought me a fascinating little book recently, called The Cloud Collector's Handbook. I started my collection with these lovely stratus clouds seen from the roof terrace of our house. It looks like someone in Cástaras has left a dry ice machine running after a heavy metal gig.

The rain in Spain falls mainly in the Alpujarra

It's hardly stopped raining since Christmas in the Alpujarra. Here, where drought and forest fires are more often the cause for worry than the occasional drop of precipitation, reservoirs are overflowing, rivers are bursting their banks and roads and bridges have been washed away. Here's a link to Chris Stewart's Guardian article about it. We're off there at the weekend, and I'm hoping the past few days of dry weather bodes well for a nice week ahead. At least with all that rain, the place will be beautifully green and should stay that way all summer - for which we still have plenty of availability for rental.

Spring is in the air?

What with the clocks going forward at the weekend and the nocturnal antics of five energetic fox cubs in and around our garden, it's beginning to feel like Spring in Glasgow. Fortunately the same can now be said of Juviles - despite a surprising wintry reprise a week or so ago, they're now getting highs of 16 Celsius (60f) plus. Happily the forecast for Paris, where we're going for a week from Easter Sunday, is equally pleasant. Yesterday we had an enquiry for the house for that week - the potential customer hasn't got back to us yet so it remains available, but hopefully they'll confirm soon.

Funny weather we're getting

A couple of weeks ago it looked very much like Spring, both in the Alpujarra and here in Scotland. There's still a little bit of winter left in Southern Spain yet, with snow highly possible this coming weekend in Juvíles, with the cota de nieve at 1200m and over, although it won't stick. Unlike the top of Ben Lawers in Tayside, where I was braving the elements last Saturday (see right). Still, I'm sure the sun will be shining in the Alpujarra at Easter time in a couple of weeks, where THERE IS STILL AVAILABILITY TO RENT OUR PLACE DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.

Spring comes early in the Alpujarra

Last week Juviles was effectively cut off from the world by snowfall and temperatures were well below freezing. The forecast for this week is bright sunshine every day, with temperatures up to 15c (which is almost 6o Fahrenheit). It'll get gradually warmer week by week now, and by the end of February the almond trees - the most representative flora in the region- will be in blossom, and the swallows should be back from Africa a month or so later. We're still offering a 20% discount if you book before the end of March - whenever in the year you choose to visit - and Easter is still available.

A wash-out

The news from the Alpujarra today is that an ancient bridge over a gully on the A4127 has been washed away by torrential rain. (That's the road that runs up the hill from Cadiar to the junction by the mirador, where you turn right for Mecina and left for Berchules.) This has isolated our village (and its neighbours) from the main local population centre and means that kids from Juviles going to school in Cadi are faced with an 85 km trip (well, according to the paper. I think you can get there on a rough wee road via Nieles or Castaras, which would be more like 10k.) Engineers are visiting the site today but current opinion is that the old bridge is beyond repair, and a brand new one will be required. Locals say there hasn't been any signifcant water in that gully since 1973.

So that's why they call it the Sierra Nevada...

I'm sitting here in Glasgow watching snow fall outside the office window (see right) and idly wondering how it is in our part of Spain. Well, a whole lot worse is the answer. I've just checked the weather forecast for Juviles, and it's thick snow every day for the next week. Already the Cadiar - Mecina Bomberon road is closed, while chains are required on the 4132 going the other way, and the 4130 to Torvizcon is badly affected. So Juviles is effectively cut off, or will be soon. Altogether there are fourteen major roads closed in Granada province, and they've had to close the ski resort in the Sierra Nevada because there's too much snow. Article in Spanish here. We have no guests in the house at the moment, which is perhaps a shame as getting snowed-in (providing there's enough firewood, food and wine in the house to keep you going) would be rather exciting.

More snow hits Granada

The province got some really heavy snowfall this weekend, with many roads in chaos. This shot is from Castril, in the North East of Granada (and a fair bit lower down than our place). Ideal reports today that transport is getting back to normal again.

Early snow

It looks like it might be a good ski season in the Sierra Nevada this year, as they've had a couple of major snow falls already and it's still only October. Traditionally they open the ski lifts on December 1st, but I think they may bring it forward if conditions allow. No snow in Juviles yet, although it looks like it's going to be pretty cold this week - while we have guests from Paris staying in the house, no doubt frantically searching for firewood as I type this. Or making their way to Tino's bar to keep warm, one or the other...

British Summer Time

It's April in Glasgow, BST started last weekend, and it's snowing. This is a shot, taken from the study window, of Annie's car slowly disappearing beneath a blanket of the white stuff. Exactly forty years ago the same thing happened, according to BBC radio. A brief mild spell at the end of March was followed by snow storms on April 6th.

In Juviles today it's 21 degrees Celsius, or about 70 Fahrenheit, which would be perfect, really. Had I won the lottery last night, I'd be making plans to move there for good. As it is, I have to wait until the end of June for a measly 7 days.