Lorraine Williamson
Spain’s Christmas roads were never going to be quiet. Then the weather joined in.
A new Spain snow travel warning from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) flagged an Atlantic front bringing rain and a falling snow line across a wide stretch of the Peninsula, just as families began weekend journeys to see relatives and friends.
By Sunday, the disruption was already visible. RTVE reported the DGT’s bulletins showing dozens of roads affected by snow, with the total rising through the day and the worst issues concentrated in northern and mountain provinces.
Where the snow risk was highest
DGT’s warning pointed drivers straight to AEMET’s alert map and listed the areas expected to see the most adverse snowfall on Sunday.
That included provinces in the northwest and interior (such as Lugo, León, Palencia, Burgos, Soria, Segovia, Ávila and Salamanca), plus parts of La Rioja, Navarra and Aragón, and areas further south, including Granada and the Sierra de Madrid.
The one rule that keeps roads moving
If snow starts to settle, DGT’s message is blunt: leave the left-hand lane free on motorways and dual carriageways.
It is not etiquette. It is how gritters, snowploughs and emergency vehicles get through when traffic begins to bunch. Blocking that lane slows the response, and it can turn a difficult journey into a standstill.
What DGT can change at short notice
When conditions bite, DGT can introduce measures designed to stop a bad situation becoming dangerous.
That can include restrictions on heavy goods vehicles, limits for vehicles without winter tyres or chains, lower speed limits, bans on overtaking, diversions, and even preventive closures in extreme conditions.
How Spain manages “winter roadability”
This is not improvised on the day.
DGT says it stays in permanent contact at the national level with the Guardia Civil’s traffic unit, DGT traffic coordination centres and its own aerial resources unit (UMA). It also works alongside Civil Protection’s risk assessment unit, AEMET, and the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
At the regional and provincial level, the provincial traffic headquarters coordinate with local Guardia Civil sectors, territorial traffic management centres and other relevant administrations under winter road protocols.
DGT also runs eight traffic management centres, operating 24/7, to monitor flow, coordinate responses and push incidents out to drivers.
Christmas travel in Spain: 22.4m road journeys begin tonight – InSpain.news
Quick checks before you set off
-
Check AEMET warnings for your route and destination.
-
Check DGT updates via 011, dgt.es, radio bulletins, or @DGTes /
@informacionDGT. -
If you drive into snow, keep the left lane clear and follow variable-message signs and Guardia Civil instructions.
-
If you use sat-nav apps, note that DGT also publishes live data via the National Access Point used by navigation providers.
A warning that may matter beyond one weekend
Snow events do not always stay neatly inside a 24-hour forecast window. Even when skies are clear, shaded stretches can keep ice longer than drivers expect.
So if you are travelling again over the holiday period, treat the Spain snow travel warning as a template: check, plan, and assume mountain routes can change quickly.
Sources: