It's winter and it's cold. So far, a truism, you might say! Except that the temperatures observed during the night from Friday 3 to Saturday 4, and even more particularly at the start of the morning, fell very low.
By opening the shutters this morning, as the sun rose, the Haut-Marnais discovered a radiant sun, which revived fishing after days of gray weather. And with it the heaviest frosts since the start of winter. The most marked in recent years? It is this feeling that predominates, but a glance in the rearview mirror, with the help of the Haute-Marne Climatology Association, reminds us that in “January 2024, around the 20th, Haute-Marne had recorded frosts down to -10°C as well.” “Which had, it is true, constituted the only cold period for 2024,” notes Alexandre Berger, however.
The association was therefore right in announcing a cold snap for the beginning of January, a few days ago. The temperature monitoring stations located in Haute-Marne – around twenty for Météo France, 4 for Asso Climat 52 – recorded a -9.5°C in Chaumont-Semoutiers, the record for that night, -8.9° C in Bourdons-sur-Rognon and Villegusien, and -8.8°C in Saint-Loup-sur-Aujon. We are talking here about station readings, but it is very likely that, locally, in certain municipalities, informed individuals have recorded even lower temperatures using personal stations.
Orange ice vigilance from this Saturday evening
Overall, it was colder in the center and south of the department, Louvemont, in the north, being the area where it was the least cold (-4.8°C). There is indeed an explanation. “The ground is still snow-covered, particularly in the valleys of these sectors and the snow on the ground accelerates the cooling of temperatures,” continues Alexandre Berger.
This frost, which nature has adorned itself so beautifully in recent hours, will nevertheless give way to a much less pleasant cousin: black ice. Météo France has in fact placed Haute-Marne on orange alert from this Saturday evening, from 6 p.m. and until midnight.
The mild spell – quite marked – is expected from this Sunday, with temperatures which could be around 10°C. “The atmosphere is seeking its balance and we will have to expect frequent fluctuations between hot and cold, more and more often and, already, throughout this month of January,” warns Alexandre Berger.
Delphine Catalifaud
