It is more common to see snow falling in North and Central Portugal, namely in Serra da Estrela, where tourists flock during the winter to have fun in the snow. Nevertheless, depending on the weather conditions, snow may fall in other Portuguese mountains at very specific times.

Despite being difficult to predict a time when snow will fall, experts mention that, in Portugal, from December to February snowfall may happen, especially in high altitude areas. Do you know where snow may fall beside the well-known Serra da Estrela?

The Portuguese winter cannot be compared to other countries in Europe. The temperatures, besides feeling cold, are warmer than other countries, being on average 7º celsius, during the winter months. But it is in higher places that the feeling can be a little bit different. The higher the place, the lower the temperatures, allowing snow to fall.

Through the 18 districts of Portugal, snow mostly falls on Viseu, Castelo Branco, Bragança, Vila Real and Guarda. Once in a while, Coimbra district may also see the snow falling.

Guarda

Being the highest city in Mainland Portugal, Braga is located 1,056 metres above sea level. The altitude of the city is the greatest predisposition for having snow. As it is a place that rains quite often, it is expected that the cold temperatures may freeze the raindrops, turning them into the beautiful snow we already know.


Bragança

This city is known for its great amount of snow during the winter. Sometimes it is impossible to drive on this district’s routes due to the snow on the routes. However, Bragança, which is already an amazing city, when the snow falls gets covered in a white blanket, amazing every visitor. Watching the castles covered in snow will create an image that Disney can only dream of.


Vila Real

In the district of Vila Real, it is located the National Park Peneda-Gerês, where Montalegre municipality is located. Filled with great oak trees and rivers, this region gains a new life when the snow falls, which happens quite often.


A place to visit in the location is the Pitões da Júnias, a medieval city that becomes white after a blizzard, hiding the stone houses with snow.


Other locations

In Coimbra district, sometimes the Serra da Lousã sees the white snowflakes falling from the sky, making the whole district of Coimbra feel the cold temperatures.

What is more fascinating is that even cities at the shore have already registered snowfall, such as the Algarve. Sometimes, in Serra de Monchique, the snow falls and the Algarve habitants flock to Fóia, trying to see snow, which is not common in the region. However, visitors may take some time to arrive at the destination, since everyone wants to touch snow, leading to traffic on the routes. Sometimes, the trip takes so long, that the snow has already melted.

Author

Deeply in love with music and with a guilty pleasure in criminal cases, Bruno G. Santos decided to study Journalism and Communication, hoping to combine both passions into writing. The journalist is also a passionate traveller who likes to write about other cultures and discover the various hidden gems from Portugal and the world. Press card: 8463. 

Bruno G. Santos