Ibiza last experienced snowfall in February 2023, when storm Juliette left historic images across the island and much of the Balearic archipelago. That exceptional episode, marked by unusually low temperatures, turned many areas of the islands white — a very rare occurrence in this part of the Mediterranean.
With the arrival of storm Goretti in Spain, the question is once again being asked by Ibiza residents: is there any chance it could snow on the island this weekend?
When does snow form?
For snowfall to occur, several conditions must coincide. First, temperatures must be very low, with air temperatures below 0°C, particularly in the upper layers of the atmosphere and also near the ground. In addition, moisture — water vapour in the air — is essential. Within clouds, this vapour freezes directly into ice crystals without passing through a liquid phase, and these crystals then group together to form snowflakes.
Finally, for snowflakes to reach the ground as snow, they must fall through sufficiently cold air. If they pass through warmer layers, they melt and fall as rain or sleet.
In the case of Ibiza, weather forecasts for this weekend point to temperatures between 10°C and 14°C, values well above those required for snowfall, even if the storm brings instability and precipitation.
Storm Goretti may result in slightly cooler conditions, but an extreme episode like the one caused by Juliette in 2023 is not expected.
Although the question inevitably brings back memories of that historic event, the conclusion after analysing all the factors is clear: it will not snow in Ibiza this weekend.