Spanish tourist towns post 1st snowfalls in decades

January 19, 2017 at 6:26 a.m. | Updated January 19, 2017 at 6:30 a.m.

by Associated Press

A woman walks with her dogs through a street after snowfall in the city of Ronda, southern Spain, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The schools of Ronda, one of the most historical towns of Andalusia, suspended their classes Thursday and traffic has been interrupted on several highways due to the intense snowfall that has fallen during the night. A cold spell has reached Europe with temperatures plummeting far below zero. (AP Photo/Javier Gonzalez)
A woman walks with her dogs through a street after snowfall in the city of Ronda, southern Spain, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017. The schools of Ronda, one of the most historical towns of Andalusia, suspended their classes Thursday and traffic has been interrupted on several highways due to the intense snowfall that has fallen during the night. A cold spell has reached Europe with temperatures plummeting far below zero. (AP Photo/Javier Gonzalez)

MADRID (AP) - Officials have placed more than half of Spain's 50 provinces under alert for heavy snow and sleet storms, with southern tourist towns reporting their first snowfalls in decades.

Authorities in the southeastern resort town of Torrevieja say that emergency services are on alert for flooding. Intense sleet storms came hours after the first snowfalls in more than 90 years coated the town's beaches white.

In the nearby resort town of Denia, classes were suspended as rain storms followed the first snowfalls in more than three decades.

Classes were also suspended in the mountainous southwestern tourist town of Ronda as up to 40 centimeters (15 inches) of snow cut off two access roads.

The AEMAT weather agency said that more snow and freezing temperatures were expected Thursday.

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