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If memory serves, the last time Lisbon underwent similar events was in 1985 or 1986 when the mercury dropped to -1 ºC. Negative temperatures are indeed uncommon for the riverside city, but even more strange are maxima of 6 or 7 degrees; most winter days go by with minima above that. I can't recall of anything like it in my life; hopefully the media will clarify how long it hasn't been like this in coming days.

This cold event won't be hitting solely Lisbon. MeteoGroup publishes charts with 3 hours intervals up to a week ahead. Here's Western Europe, Thursday at 6 a.m.:

24 hours later, Friday:


And to clear any shadow of doubt, this event is as usual caused by an Anticyclonic Agglutination that will gather over Central Europe about two days from now. Following is an animated pressure chart with 6 hour intervals up to Saturday:


A new polar high is ejected out of Greenland (not far from that place that should have been ice free last Summer) merging with the high that is now presently over Britain. This strong agglutination then slowly moves south-eastwards, over Germany towards Turkey.

I'm filing this note under the Solar Minimum series more as a thought provocation than anything else. Local Weather shouldn't be confused with Global Climate. But with solar geomagnetic activity setting a new record low, one is left wondering how regular can become events like these in the following decade.

Let's hope this turns out to be the coldest event of this Winter, and that the present stress on the European energy systems eases down.