The largest known snowfall occurred on January 20, 1979 |
The second fortnight of January 1979 was a carousel of fronts and squalls from the west and southwest with intense rainfall in the archipelago. In the centre of Gran Canaria, in the Barranco del Gofio, Tejeda, a man was dragged by the floodwaters, causing his death. The Port of Los Cristianos in the south of Tenerife was totally destroyed by the storm. The town of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was flooded when the Santos ravine overflowed.
The largest known snowfall occurred on January 20, 1979, on the summits of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and La Palma. In Tenerife, above 1,000 m, reaching in some points up to 5 meters thick. In Izaña 957 l / m² accumulated, almost all in the form of snow. That month up to 15 days of snowfall were registered.