It was mild in October, it was mild in November.
At night, with an average temperature of 4.1°C, for a normal of 3.7°C in Saint-Etienne, and minimums of 2.3°C, for a normal of 0.9°C in Le Puy- en-Velay.
The day when the thermometer exceeded 13°C in the capital of the Loire, significantly above the normal of 11.4°C. The same in Haute-Loire, with maximums of 12°C, for a usual average of 9.2.
Sunshine in November
The month of November 2024 was also marked by a rainfall deficit. “34 mm of rain fell on the Loire, almost half as much as normal, which is 65 mm,” notes Frédéric Decker, meteorologist forecaster at MétéoNews. We went back into the dry. »
Nothing to do with the downpours of October 16 and 17, which notably paralyzed automobile and rail traffic in the Gier valley. And imposed on Rive-de-Gier the ordeal of a flooding of the city center already suffered in 2008. Little rain also in Haute-Loire: 41 mm in Le Puy-en-Velay, compared to 73 usually in November.
The sun shone a lot on the two departments: 128 hours on the Loire, 136 hours on the Haute-Loire, for an average, identical to the two sectors, of 88 hours in November.
This mildness is found in the date of arrival of the first frosts: November 14 in Puy-en-Velay, three days later in Saint-Etienne, while the morning frost generally whitens towns and countryside at the start of the month.
The wind blew strong, very strong
In November, it was especially the wind that left its mark. It blew hard. Very strong. On Monday 25, a gust was measured at 143 km/h at the Saint-Chamond station. The Loire firefighters went out more than 60 times for objects (trees, cables) that were threatening or had fallen onto the road. Four people were slightly injured.
The day before, the SNCF had anticipated the weather conditions and announced the interruption of traffic on several lines, notably Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne/Le Puy-en-Velay, Saint-Etienne/Roanne, Saint-Etienne/ Montbrison and Lyon/Roanne.
Hundreds of homes were deprived of electricity. The trailer of a truck was blown by the wind onto the Givors bridge (A47). And yet. The MeteoNews forecaster analyzes that “if this episode was notable, the gales in November are not exceptional”.
Fifteen days of fog in November
Small question: is it an impression, or was November particularly drowned in pea puree? Bingo. Frédéric Decker confirms that “Saint-Etienne experienced fifteen days of fog during the month compared to seven to ten days in normal times. We have noted this phenomenon. However, it remains classic: calm weather conditions are conducive to the formation of mist.”
December should follow the path traced by October and November. “It will be milder than normal,” announces Frédéric Decker. Who continues: “The rainfall and sunshine will return to normal. »
Finally, “the” question: are we going to have snow at Christmas, like in 2020? “It’s complicated to say at the moment, but it’s unlikely. The trend remains towards a mild and humid Christmas. »
And if it were to snow, it would be more likely in Haute-Loire than in the Loire.
