what the weather forecast this Thursday with 28 departments on orange alert

WEATHER – Warning of snow… and ice in France. If a handful of departments accustomed to snowflakes have already been placed on yellow alert for snow and ice this Wednesday, November 20, Thursday promises to be much more significant.

As Météo-France reports, on the eve of this first real snowy episode at the end of 2024, a “ cold snap » is scheduled for Thursday with the arrival of a “ maritime polar air descent » which will cause temperatures to drop and therefore encourage the appearance of snow all the way to the plains. On Wednesday, at midday, 28 departments were placed on orange alert for the risk of snow and ice, which could be “significant enough to make traffic conditions difficult”.

This depression will cross France from west to east, as we can see on the first yellow vigilance maps from Météo-France. Enough to provoke “ snowfall of several centimeters ».

« Areas are a priori more concerned: eastern Brittany, Lower Normandy and Center-Val de Loire »the French forecaster tells BFMTV. “ The regions going from Lower Normandy, to the Pays de la Loire, via the Center and Burgundy to Franche-Comté currently seem the most privileged to observe a small layer of snow on the ground. »

At this stage, uncertainty remains over a possible extension of the snow episode towards regions further north of this axis (Brittany, Île-de-France, Alsace-Lorraine). This data must still be refined throughout the day on Wednesday. Even if a good part of the areas concerned are already affected by orange vigilance for the next few hours.

Enter « 2 and 5 cm » snow

After the appearance of the first flakes in the localities mentioned above, the snow should follow this movement from west to east, gradually moving towards the East of France, up to the Alps. About it, ” snow accumulations in the Alps, in mid-mountains, will be significant and will require particular attention », notes the latest Météo-France bulletin.

In detail, Météo-France specifies that“around 2 to 5 cm” snow volumes are expected “in most of the regions concerned”. Concerning the expected temperatures, they should start to fall this Wednesday “to mid-winter levels”. With 5 to 10 degrees at the best of the day. Values ​​that Météo-France considers comparable to the averages for the month of January.

A meteorological episode that the forecaster does not, however, judge “ not so exceptional “, taking into account the entry into meteorological winter on December 1st. According to him, “ snow at the end of November, in the north of the country, in the plain » is therefore nothing abnormal, “ even if it doesn't happen every year ».

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