This weekend, the Picos de Europa welcomed autumn with their first snowfall. The press on the León side reported on Sunday 18 October that the area around the Collado Jermoso refuge, at 2,064 metres, woke up covered in white (Diario de León, 18 October 2026, in Spanish). For that same Sunday, AEMET had forecast the snow level dropping from 1,800-1,700 metres to 1,500-1,600 metres, with light frosts in the highest areas and fog on the summits.
If you have a booking in Cabrales in the coming weeks, the question is simple: does this change my plans? In most cases, less than it seems. But it helps to know how to read the forecast so you can tell.
1. What the snow level is (and what it is not)
The snow level is the altitude above which precipitation falls as snow. If the forecast says "snow level 1,500 m", then above that height, if it rains, what falls is snow; below it, rain.
Two things worth being clear about:
- It is not the limit of the snow already on the ground. There can be settled snow below the snow level if it snowed earlier, and there may be none above it if nothing has fallen.
- It changes through the day. The snow level rises and falls as weather fronts pass. Check the forecast for the day you are going out, not last week's.
2. What "light frost" means and why fog matters
"Light frost" means temperatures below zero without being extreme. At altitude, that means ice on rock and path in the early hours, especially in shaded spots. As a general guide, the temperature drops by around 0.6-0.7 °C for every 100 metres of height (approximate figure, check it against the forecast for the day).
Fog on the summits counts for more than snow when deciding. It removes landmarks, and on high mountain paths, often marked only with stone cairns, it is what most often leads people to get lost. If the forecast mentions fog and you were planning to go up, think twice about the route.
3. Where to check the forecast
The forecast you want is not the village one but the mountain one: the AEMET forecast for the Picos de Europa gives snow level, temperatures and wind at altitude. Check it the evening before and again in the morning. A day that starts clear in Arenas de Cabrales can be shut in on the summits.
4. What changes (and what does not) from Cabrales
A snow level of 1,500 metres leaves Arenas de Cabrales, Poncebos and most of the valley villages far below it. In practice, this usually means:
- Valley and low mid-mountain walks: still a good idea. The Foces del Casaño, for example, runs by the river, level and without any height.
- Routes that climb to high ground: here you do need to check the forecast. With snow or ice on the path, what was a stroll on a summer day becomes something else. Without equipment or experience on snow, better to leave them for another day.
- Going up to Bulnes: the usual alternative from Poncebos is the funicular and a stroll round the village, with no long climb.
For more ideas depending on your group, see the essential hiking routes from Cabrales.
5. What to pack if you are going higher
- Mountain boots with a good sole and, if there is snow or ice, walking poles.
- Warm layers, a waterproof, a hat and gloves. Even if the sun comes out, it cools quickly at altitude.
- A head torch and a charged phone: the days keep getting shorter.
- The track downloaded and a turn-back time that you stick to.
More detail in our guide to autumn safety tips.
And the saying goes...
In Asturias and León they say "October snow covers seven moons". It is folk wisdom, not a forecast: nobody can say today what winter will be like. But it is a reminder that in the Picos, autumn ends early at altitude.
Autumn with snow on the summits, and you down below, warm
Snow on the summits does not spoil autumn in Cabrales: it improves it. You can see it from the valley, the low routes are quiet and foggy days have a plan: Cabrales cheese, an unhurried fabada. If you are thinking of coming in November or for the December long weekend, take a look at what to do from Cabrales on those dates.
From El Ardinal, Poncebos is 6 km away, so you can check the forecast in the morning and decide calmly.
