French weekend weather forecast January 10 - 11: temperatures to drop
There will be some snow but limited mainly to the north-east
Chilly morning temperatures are expected alongside fog. Archive photo shows St Germain Les Belles (Haute-Vienne) in December 2024
Colleen Ashley/Shutterstock
Temperatures will drop this weekend following the mid-week thaw, with snow returning to the north-east of France.
They will not drop to as low as during the previous cold snap, however, and Sunday is forecast to be a clear and sunny day even if cold.
Friday January 9
Storm Goretti is set to impact the north throughout the day and while the worst of the storm has passed, heightened warnings for strong winds remain in place until 18:00.
Most of the country will experience persistent showers with the risk of thunderstorms in the south-west and Pyrénées.
Skies will remain grey and only the Mediterranean coast is set to see any sun.
Highs of 5C - 7C in the north, 8C to 10C in the south, and 12C along the Mediterranean are expected, but this will drop to 1C at the Alpine foothills and parts of the Massif Central.
However, temperatures will feel cooler than this, particularly in the north, due to the impact of the wind (conditions such as wind and sunlight are not factored into given temperatures).
Light snowfall is expected in the mountain ranges from 500m and above.
Saturday January 10
Showers will run from the south-west to the north-east throughout the day, with a wider risk of light rain in the north.
Between showers skies will be mostly sunny with only sparse cloud coverage.
Winds will remain strong, reaching up to 80 km/h, and in the south all ferry services to Corsica are suspended.
Temperatures will drop particularly in the east, where highs of 1C are expected. This in turn will lead to snowfall in the area at low-lying areas, reaching significant levels at 400m and above.
Elsewhere, highs of 6C to 10C are expected, rising to 11C in the south-east. Note that a strong Mistral wind will keep much of the area feeling chilly.
Sunday January 11
Rain will be limited to Normandy and Brittany, only pushing further inland as early morning light showers.
Elsewhere, typical sunny wintry conditions are expected. Skies will turn cloudy in the late afternoon just before sunset.
Morning frosts are expected in most areas.
Highs of 0C - 2C in the east, 3C - 6C in the north, and 8C in the coastal north and west are forecast, increasing to 12C in the south-east and 13C in the Pays-Basque.
Early forecasts suggest a prolonged spell of rain across most of France next week, likely lasting until at least Thursday.
