Cold Snap In France: What Causes The Phenomenon?

Weather forecasters have announced that temperatures will drop early next week. No region will escape this cold snap in France. We suggest you learn more about the causes and consequences of this phenomenon.

What can we expect?

If you haven't already done so, it's time to get your scarves, hats and Gloves out of the closet! At the beginning of next week, the cold will arrive in France.

The drop in temperatures will first be seen on Sunday 21 November on the Channel coast and north of the Loire.

This cold snap will then descend rapidly southwards on Sunday evening and Monday 22 November.

What are the causes of the phenomenon?

This drop in temperatures is due to a shift in the high pressure over the North Atlantic which will let a disturbance pass over the northern half of France.

At the back of this front, cold air of polar origin will rush over the whole country.

However, forecasters at Meteo France say this is not a cold snap in the strict sense.

What will be the consequences of this phenomenon?

For this weekend, the weather forecasters advise you to schedule your outdoor activities on Saturday.

Indeed, from Sunday, the rain will arrive and descend from the north to the south of France, with a clear drop in temperatures.

The arrival of cold weather, which is quite normal at this time of year, should not be accompanied by freezing temperatures.

Depending on the region, we will lose between 3 and 6 degrees between Saturday and Sunday.

But the felt temperature is likely to be more unpleasant, as the cold will be accentuated by a north northeasterly breeze across France.

This cold snap should be accompanied by widespread frosts on the reliefs and in the plains (depending on the presence or not of clearings during the nights).

However, there will be significant disparities between the North and South of France. In the south, heavy rain is expected in the Alpes-Maritimes and the Var, as well as snow at low altitudes, on the reliefs of the East and the Massif Central.

But the South will not experience polar cold comparable to the North of France. Temperatures should oscillate between 7 and 9 degrees in the morning and between 13 and 15 degrees in the afternoon, which corresponds to the seasonal norm.

Will this cold last?

This weekend, France will experience the first real cold snap of the autumn.

The weather forecasts are reliable until Monday. They are less reliable for the rest of the week.

This cold snap could be temporary, with a thaw at higher altitudes in the middle of next week.

Another descent of polar air could then occur in late November, according to some modelling.