France Braces for Significant Temperature Drop and First Widespread Frost of the Season

France is preparing for a notable cold snap beginning Monday, November 17, as a polar air mass sweeps across the country, bringing the first widespread frost of the season and a significant temperature drop. Temperatures, which have hovered between 10°C and 18°C over the weekend, are expected to fall below 5°C for daytime highs and dip between -2°C and -4°C in low-lying and rural areas during the mornings. Mountain regions, especially the Alps, could face temperatures as low as -15°C. Initially, dry cold conditions will bring clear nights conducive to frost, followed by a more humid cold spell starting Wednesday, which may cause snow in the eastern mountains at elevations above 700 meters.

This cold wave will extend through November 24, with national averages possibly 5 to 7°C below seasonal norms by week’s end. The temperature anomaly is significant but does not meet cold wave criteria due to its limited duration and positive afternoon temperatures. This drop ends an unseasonably warm period that peaked on November 14, the warmest late-season day recorded in France. Though frost and colder temperatures will mark much of northern, central, and eastern France, snow will remain mostly confined to mountainous areas, with lower elevations seeing limited snowfall chances.

Despite the chill, this cold snap is less severe than historic cold episodes in 1956, 1985, and 1998, with temperatures across a vast region from Scandinavia to Morocco, including France, running 3 to 6°C below averages. The geographic impact is broad, with the most intense cold arriving Monday and Wednesday amid northern and eastern prevailing winds. This forecast underscores a rapid transition from the recent warmth towards a more classic winter climate.