Snowstorm Hits Spain, Madrid Braces For Heaviest Snowfall In Decades

A man takes a picture of dogs outside the Prado Museum during a snowfall in Madrid, Spain, on Jan. 7, 2021. Susana Vera/Reuters

MADRID—Heavy snowfall brought by Storm Filomena put parts of Spain including the capital Madrid on high alert on Friday, causing traffic congestion and forcing authorities in some regions to deploy the military to clear access to villages.

With up to nearly 8 inches of snow forecast in 24 hours and temperatures expected to hover around zero centigrade for much of the day, the south of the Madrid region, including the capital, is on its highest level of alert for the first time since the system was created in 2007.