All orange snow-ice alerts were lifted this Friday, January 19 by Météo-France, which leaves a large part of the country on yellow alert. With temperatures still very cold, the risk of refreezing concerns several regions of northern France.
15:26 – Risk of freezing fog in Seine-et-Marne
On X, La Chaîne Météo calls for caution in Seine-et-Marne, particularly for motorists. Indeed, it indicates that a freezing fog has formed around Melun on the A5 which could disrupt traffic.
2:00 p.m. – This weekend’s forecast
The weekend of January 20 and 21 promises to be sunny but cold. For Saturday, La Chaîne Météo forecasts sunshine across the entire country after the fog dissipates in the Paris Basin and the Ardennes. The site specifies that “morning frosts will sometimes be severe”. On the Mediterranean side, strong winds are forecast. The Weather Channel also predicts that temperatures “in the afternoon are very much below normal in the east with sometimes no thaw.” In fact, the site announces temperatures between -14°C and 13°C. For this Sunday The Weather Channel specifies that “the good weather will continue in the east” for the whole day. Frosts are also expected to persist in the northeast and clouds are expected in Brittany. If good weather should settle in over most of the country, the site announces that “in the afternoon, clouds will invade the entire northwest quarter with a few drops and southwest wind gusting to more than 80 km/h on the Channel coast.” Sunday’s temperatures are expected to be milder than the day before with between -10°C and 17°C.
11:31 – The evolution of floods in Normandy
The departments of Orne and Calvados have been placed on orange alert for the risk of flooding by Météo France since Thursday. Vigicrues reminds that these excesses are usual for the season and result from the passage of depression Irene which has been raging in France since the beginning of the week. On the Dives, one of the rivers concerned by vigilance, the institute specifies that “the decline is well underway upstream”. While downstream “the flood is spreading in the Mesnil-Mauger sector where a second flood peak is expected during the day.” The second river concerned is the Orne, where “the peak of the flood is underway at the Courbe station”. Vigicrues predicts “the decline during the day after the passage of these two peaks.” unless further precipitation falls on the region.
11:09 – Traffic disrupted in several departments
With last night’s snowfall and the icy conditions that have set in across the country, caution is advised on the roads this Friday. France Blue indicates that traffic is disrupted in several departments. In Isère, in particular, in the south-east, where the prefecture has banned the circulation of heavy goods vehicles on motorways as well as on certain departmental roads. Restrictions for heavy goods vehicles have also been put in place in Loire and Haute-Loire. In the north, in Picardy, where temperatures are very low, school transport is not provided. In Amiens, the Ametis company bus network announces modified routes on certain lines. In the south-west, in Dordogne, accidents took place this Friday morning on the A89 due to icy conditions.
09:25 – Detailed forecasts for this Friday
This Friday morning, frost spread across three quarters of the country where temperatures are often in the negative. In detail, La Chaîne Météo forecasts the return of the sun from Brittany to Hauts-de-France, despite a freezing cold “in the morning with the risk of icy conditions which will complicate traffic, particularly in Normandy”. Temperatures there will be between -9°C and 7°C. In the Pays de la Loire, the site also announces sunny weather but “with widespread frosts in the morning but slightly rising temperatures in the afternoon”, in fact it will be between -4°C and 8°C in the region. The sun is also returning from the Ardennes to the Paris Basin but the weather remains “very cold with slippery roads in the morning”. The Weather Channel announces between -10°C and 2°C in this axis. Further east, from Lorraine to Alsace to Burgundy-France-Comté, icy conditions will be very present despite the dry and sunny weather. It will be between -6°C and 5°C in these regions. In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, frost took over after the snow fell overnight. The Weather Channel announces clearings during the afternoon with temperatures between -6°C and 5°C. In the south of France, light showers are possible in “Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Midi-Toulousain” before the sun takes advantage in the afternoon. Milder temperatures will be between -1°C and 9°C. On the Mediterranean coast and Corsica, La Chaîne Météo announces some rain during the day with light snowfall over Corsica at the end of the day. The site predicts between 1°C and 19°C.
08:39 – With almost -15°C, the cold record broken in Arras
The night was particularly cold in Pas-de-Calais and this morning the thermometer showed -14.6°C in Arras. With such a low mercury, the town has broken the cold record since the opening of the meteorological station. Until today, the lowest temperature recorded was -14.1°C in January 1987.
08:01 – Refreezing observed in the northern third of the country
“Given the persistence of negative temperatures, refreezing phenomena are expected and will keep the soils very slippery” warned the prefecture of the Hauts-de-France and Northern region which will be particularly affected by the phenomenon. But the risk extends to other regions as Météo France indicates: “Frosts are expected in Normandy, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France and the North-East regions and could cause refreezing phenomena on wet and/or partially snow-covered roads.”
07:55 – Significant risk of refreezing
Due to the cold and often negative temperatures, Météo France warns against “the phenomenon of refreezing of wet or snowy surfaces”. With this cold, the rain or melted snow from the day before risks becoming icy again and making the floors particularly slippery.
07:47 – Down to -12°C: it’s “still very cold”
Météo France lifted all orange snow-ice warnings in France this Friday, January 19. The meteorological agency indicates, however, that the weather remains “still very cold in the morning” and that “in the northern two thirds of France, frosts are widespread and sometimes severe” with temperatures “often between -2 and -5 degrees , sometimes lower than -6/-8 in snowy areas.” In places the mercury drops to -12°C, this morning we are expecting for example -12.5°C in Rouvroy-les-Merles (Oise), -11.8°C in Arras (Pas-de-Calais) or -10.8°C in Forges (Charente-Maritime).