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Snowstorm Disrupts Álava Roads as Forecasters See Easing by Late Afternoon

National and Basque winter plans deploy hundreds of snowploughs alongside expanded shelter capacity.

Overview

  • AEMET kept an orange alert for disruptive snowfall in Álava, with snow reaching Vitoria and 10–20 centimeters reported in parts of Asparrena.
  • By late morning, multiple mountain passes were closed or required chains — including Opakua, Herrera, La Tejera, Zaldiaran and Altube — and secondary routes faced ice warnings.
  • Spain’s Transport Ministry activated its winter viability plan, mobilizing 541 snowploughs and more than 110,000 tonnes of de-icers for affected northern regions.
  • The Basque Government readied 215 machines, seven heavy cranes and 130 support vehicles, as the Álava provincial operation expanded through the day.
  • Meteorological services forecast the snow line rising to around 800 meters with alerts expected to ease near 18:00, cold lingering into the weekend; Vitoria added 42 beds for homeless people and Montaña Alavesa reported gaps in local ploughing after volunteers withdrew.