Storms and snow: French weekend weather outlook December 21 - 22
Up to 80cm of snow will fall in the Alps and the south-east faces gales of 130 km/h
Snow is expected in all of France's mountain ranges
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This weekend - the last before Christmas - will be damp, chilly, and windy for most, with perturbations across most of France.
Temperatures will drop to slightly below national averages for December before climbing again through the course of next week.
Friday December 20
Temperatures will fall throughout the country as bitter arctic winds arrive and cover much of the country.
Rain will push into the north from Brittany and Normandy in the evening, however elsewhere skies will remain clear and despite clouds in Central France rain is unlikely in the area.
A Mediterranean storm dubbed ‘Dionisio’ will hit the coastal south-east, bringing winds of 130 km/h. Outside of these gales, however, the weather will be calm, with highs of 15C and sunny skies.
The storm will die down as the evening progresses but strong winds are expected throughout the weekend in the area.
Read more: Gales of 130 km/h set to batter south-east France as Mediterranean storm arrives
Saturday December 21
A small storm will move across France from the south-west to the north-east throughout the day, bringing cloudy skies and rain. It is not expected to be severe.
The north will begin calm, although showers will fall intermittently throughout the day, particularly along the English Channel coast.
The south will still face winds – but not as strong as on Friday – especially along the paths of the Mistral and Tramontane, with highs of 13C along the Mediterranean coastline.
Snow is expected in the mountains at altitudes of 1,500m.
Sunday December 22
Conditions will deteriorate on Sunday, with winds across the north and centre becoming fiercer, and remaining strong in the south-east.
Rain will fall for most of the day across the country except the far south-east around the Alpes-Maritimes department.
Significant snowfall is expected in the mountainous areas, with up to 80cm in the northern Alps at altitudes of 2,000m or more – good news for winter holidaymakers.
Read more: Trenitalia rivals SNCF to offer train service to French ski stations
Elsewhere, rain will turn to snow at altitudes of around 500m in the Vosges, Jura, and Massif Central mountain ranges, and 600m in the Alps and Pyrénées. Snowfall will continue into Monday (December 23) alongside rainfall.
