54 departments now placed on orange “snow-ice” or “strong winds” alert for today

Snow all the way to the plains and temperatures worthy of January. With the arrival of storm Caetano, winter arrives on Thursday November 21 in France, where 54 departments are now placed on orange alert for snow, ice and wind. In its Thursday morning bulletin, Météo-France placed 54 departments on orange alert, including 33 for snow and ice, mainly in the northern part of the country and in the Alps, and 21 for wind, from Loire-Atlantique to Gironde. then on a line going to Savoie. The two departments of Corsica have been added to the list. Follow our live stream.

Circulation difficile. This storm “will cross France from west to east and cause an early and sufficiently notable winter episode to make traffic conditions difficult in the regions concerned”warns Météo-France. In Ile-de-France, we expect 1 to 5 cm, locally 5 to 10 cm in the south of the region,” continues Météo-France, which adds that snowfall “are also expected at low altitude in the Southern Alps”.

Limitations. In several departments, the movement of trucks weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will be restricted, with a speed reduced by 20 km/h and will not be able to exceed. This will apply from 6 a.m. in Calvados, Côtes-d'Armor, Ille-et-Vilaine, Manche, Morbihan, Orne and Sarthe, and from 11 a.m. in Cher, Eure , Eure-et-Loir, Loir-et-Cher and Loiret. In Ile-de-France, the speed limit will be lowered by 20 km/h.

Be careful of refreezing. For the day of Friday, 29 departments were placed on orange “snow-ice” vigilance, on a strip stretching from the Manche to the Doubs. “Temperatures will drop significantly and cause refreezing of the snow on the ground, making these grounds very slippery,” warns Météo-France.