French weekend weather forecast November 29 - 30: damp but warmer
Atlantic rains will hit most areas with snow in the mountains
The downpours will affect western and eastern regions across the weekend
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A damp weekend is expected for most of France, despite the definitive end of the second cold snap in as many weeks.
Snowfall is expected in mountain areas at 1,000m and above, with some resorts in the Vosges – where there may be snow at 800m on Sunday – set to open early because of the conditions.
Friday November 28
Friday sets the tone for the weekend, with cloudy skies and showers in the north and centre for much of the day.
Sunshine will be limited to coastal Normandy and Brittany, as well as the Mediterranean and parts of the south-west. In the south, the Mistral and Tramontane winds will be less powerful than at the start of the week.
Showers will move from west to east, gradually reaching the German border by the evening.
However, afternoon temperatures will be surprisingly high in many areas. In the north, highs of 11C in Paris and Lille are expected, rising to 13C in Orléans and potentially 15C in Nantes.
Chilly morning temperatures in the south – around -2C in Provence with frost – will make way for highs of 14C, rising to 16C along the Mediterranean.
Saturday November 29
A new set of Atlantic rains will move in from the west and gradually sweep across France throughout the weekend. On Saturday the rain is expected to reach central regions by the evening.
Strong and persistent rain is forecast along the entirety of the western coast throughout the day, although heightened weather warnings have not been put in place by state forecaster Météo France.
Temperatures will remain similar to Friday, although a slight drop in the north and a slight increase in the south is expected.
The Pays-Basque could see temperatures above 16C despite the risk of rain and the Mediterranean will benefit from highs of 15C across most of the coast and potentially 17C around Nice. These are all above average for the end of November.
Sunday November 30
The clouds above western France on Saturday will move eastwards, bringing rain in a line from the Pyrénées to the Alps and the south-east.
Around the Alps and the south-east, this could turn into a period of heavy rain and storms – weather alerts will not be published until Saturday so it is worth keeping an eye on the situation if you live in the area.
In the west, sunny skies will return although there is a risk of sporadic showers.
Snowfall in the Vosges may begin at 800m, and around 1,000m in the Jura, Massif Central, and northern Alps.
Temperatures will drop around 2C/3C and again fail to reach above 10C in much of the north and centre and be limited to around 12C in the south. This is average for the season.
Early forecasts for next week see a new bout of Atlantic rain covering much of the country, lasting potentially all week.
