Overview
- Spain’s Aemet classed the 8–9 January 2021 snowfall as the most intense in over a century, with up to 40 cm in parts of Madrid and 60 cm in the region’s southeast that halted mobility and prompted UME deployment.
- The storm and ensuing cold wave caused four deaths, shut schools and rail service, and forced park closures as roughly 441,000 city trees failed to survive, with about 5% falling or requiring removal.
- The Council of Ministers later designated eight regions as catastrophic zones and approved €142.4 million in aid on 21 June 2022, including €73.7 million for municipalities in the Madrid region and €38 million for the capital.
- Recovery works continue: the historic La Nevera sports pavilion was demolished and a new venue is under construction with completion expected before next summer, while replanting and restorations advanced in Retiro and the Parque del Oeste rose garden.
- Preparedness has been upgraded with a larger snow-clearing fleet and clauses for faster municipal response, and experts stress that this week’s ‘Francis’ system differs from Filomena with briefer snowfall in Madrid and more wind and rain.