A cold snap is expected in France this weekend and negative temperatures are expected in many departments.
While the weather remains capricious throughout the country and has even led to new floods in the north of France, a cold wave is hitting the country this weekend and for the start of the week. Concretely, this means that “the national thermal indicator is below 0.9°C for at least three days” and below the threshold of -2°C for at least one day, as explained by La Chaîne Météo. From the end of the weekend, this indicator will be well below 0.9°C and next week the mercury should fall largely into the negative, particularly in certain departments.
This cold episode comes straight from the Scandinavian countries. Record temperatures of up to -43°C were recorded in northern Sweden this Thursday where snowfall also disrupted traffic. These frozen air masses are now heading towards France. And the phenomenon should intensify across the entire territory from “Sunday and especially from Monday” warns Météo France. In addition to forecasting severe frosts, Météo France announces the color: “Monday and Tuesday, the maximum temperatures should struggle to exceed 0°C over a good half of the country.” The eastern departments of the country will be the most affected by these low temperatures, from Alsace, Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin to Champagne-Ardennes and up to Auvergne Rhône-Alpes.
Continental air could lower temperatures to -10°C or even -15°C at night locally in “the valleys, cold holes and certain valley bottoms”, warns La Chaîne Météo with perhaps cold records in certain resorts across the country. If we should stay far from the absolute cold record recorded in France in one of these cold holes, Mouthe in Doubs with -36.7°C recorded on January 13, 1968, Météo France still expects to experience this week the coldest day on national average since 2018. More locally, the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes and Alsace regions could experience several days without thaw. In Strasbourg, no thaw is also expected “for several days”, the agency even indicates.
The departments from Hauts-de-France towards Île-de-France to the limit with Occitanie will be less affected by the cold. The Weather Channel predicts temperatures between -5°C and -10°C. In these departments, maximum temperatures should not exceed 5°C. Météo France, for example, forecasts -5°C in Aurillac this Tuesday morning and -2°C in Limoges.
The western and southern coast of France will be the areas most spared by this cold wave. The Weather Channel says temperatures should be between 0°C and -5°C. Météo France still forecasts -2°C in Rennes and Nantes this Monday, while it will be -1°C in Bordeaux and -2°C in Toulouse on Tuesday. On the Mediterranean coast, the minimum is expected in Montpellier with -2°C according to Météo France. Temperatures there will generally be milder, between 3°C and 12°C maximum.
If no one will escape the cold, Météo France is trying to console the French by announcing the arrival of a “powerful anticyclone on the western margin of Europe this weekend, then on the north of the continent at the beginning of next week “. The phenomenon will bring dry and sunny weather, although cold.