France is soon entering “meteorological winter”: what changes should we expect?
The beginning of December marks the official arrival of meteorological winter in France. But be careful, it should not be confused with calendar winter, the dates of which do not always coincide. As La Chaîne Météo points out, their difference “lies mainly in the way these seasons are defined and their use for practical purposes.”
According to the traditional definition of seasons, calendar winter begins around December 20 and ends around March 20. At this time, the days are still not very sunny and struggle to reach 9 hours due to the inclination of the Earth which prevents the sun from illuminating us in the same way as in summer.
For its part, meteorological winter begins on December 1 and ends around February 28 and 29. Depending on the year, this three-month period may, however, change. “This definition is used by climatologists and meteorologists for practical reasons, because it simplifies the analysis of climate trends by grouping the months of the same season into fixed periods. Indeed, fixed periods of three months ( meteorological winter) are more suited to the collection of climatic data and the analysis of long-term trends,” indicates the Météo Chaîne.
For good reason, the beginning of December reserves numerous climatic changes for France, influenced by geography and atmospheric conditions. In meteorological winter, daytime temperatures range between 3 and 10°C in most of the country. Some regions are still likely to experience significant weather variations, with January being colder than elsewhere, according to forecast models.
In the north of France, temperatures are lower, sometimes falling below 0°C, while in the south, particularly along the Côte d'Azur and in the southwest, the average is between 7 and 10°C. Between December and March, significant snowfall is expected in mountainous areas (Alps, Massif Central, Pyrenees). Despite everything, experts note a clear reduction in days of frost and snow. Enough to extinguish the hope of experiencing a Christmas under the snowflakes.
In fact, due to global warming, winters tend to become milder in France. According to Météo-France, “the winter of 2023-2024 ranks 3rd among the mildest winters since 1900 behind the winter of 2019-2020 (+2.3°C) and the winter of 2015-2016 (+2.1°C) “. Originally, the national winter average was +5.4°C, but since the beginning of our century, this average has often been between 7 and 10°C.
