Barcelona prepares for the Setmana dels Barbuts: extreme cold and rain in January

Barcelona faces the Setmana dels Barbuts with intense cold. Temperatures will plummet. Rain is expected at the end of the week. Wintery conditions will take centre stage. Find out when the coldest lows will arrive.

Barcelona is heading into a new cold snap right during the Setmana dels Barbuts, the period tradition marks as the coldest of the year in Catalunya. After a Christmas marked by low temperatures and a brief snowfall on Tibidabo, the city is preparing for an even sharper drop in temperatures.

Historical data confirms this week’s reputation: between 16 and 19 January, average temperatures at 1,500 metres drop to 2 °C, according to records from 1991 to 2020. Experts note that, although the weather varies each year and climate change is altering patterns, the Setmana dels Barbuts still stands out for its statistically cold weather.

Cold air will start to move into the atmosphere over Barcelona from tonight, with temperatures falling from the current 9 °C to values close to 0 °C by the end of the week. However, the real impact at ground level will be felt from Friday, with Saturday and Sunday expected to be the coldest days. The lowest minimums are forecast for the early hours and dawn on Monday.

In addition to the cold, the forecast points to rain that could intensify over the weekend and continue in the following days. The second half of January will keep up the wintery feel, with temperatures not exceeding normal values and rainfall possibly becoming more prominent.

For the last week of the month, from 26 to 31 January, meteorological models predict typical temperatures for the time of year and a trend towards normalisation after a rainy period. Thus, Barcelona will see an end to January marked by cold and rain, with the Setmana dels Barbuts as the epicentre of winter.