Central and Northern France Brace for Winter Weather

Snow is expected to fall in central and northern France tomorrow (November 21) as cold weather pushes into France from the British Isles.

It has been preceded by a drop in temperatures today (November 20) which has seen temperatures in much of the north remain at around 5C.

Elsewhere, temperatures will struggle to hit above 12C anywhere except the south-east.

Lower level warnings for a number of weather conditions are already in place today, including for heavy rain/flash flooding, coastal waves, avalanches, and for snowy/icy roads.

Corsica is facing a heightened tier-three orange alert for strong winds.

Read more: What to do – and not do – in a red or orange weather alert in France

Earlier today state forecaster Weather France placed 28 departments on a tier-three orange warning for snowy and icy driving conditions (snow-ice) tomorrow.

The warnings come into place from 06:00 and last until Friday (November 22) morning. They will be in place in:

Aube, Yonne, Haute-Marne, Côte-d'Or, Côtes-d'Armor, Vosges, Haute-Saône, Doubs, Belfort territory, Haut-Rhin, Calvados, Eure, Eure-et-Loir, Ille-et- Vilaine, Loir-et-Cher, Loiret, Manche, Mayenne, Orne, Sarthe, Seine-et-Marne, as well as Paris and the surrounding departments.

Read more: No snow tyre fines in France this winter – but insurers may require them

Snow is also expected in the Massif Central, Alps, Vosges, Jura, and Pyrénées mountain ranges, as well as in eastern France near the German border.

In the east, snow will fall at altitudes as low as 300m above sea level.

It comes after the first snowfall of the 2024/2025 winter was spotted last week in the Alps.

Read more: Snow arrives: opening dates of French ski resorts

A mix of snow and rain may also fall in Brittany, Normandy, Pays-de-la-Loire, central France around Paris, Hauts-de-France, and the rest of the north at the end of this week.

If temperatures drop further, this is more likely to fall as snow, although it is unlikely to settle for long.

In all these areas, snowfall may continue throughout the day, overnight and into Friday morning.

There is a risk of snow until Saturday (November 23) morning, after which temperatures will slowly begin to rise to seasonal averages.

You can keep up to date with all official weather warnings – including for snow and icy roads – via state forecaster Weather France. Changes to alert levels are likely as the cold weather moves south.