Overview
- Météo‑France forecasts a national average near 3°C on 25 December, with a brief east‑to‑west snow band overnight into Christmas Day.
- Drôme and Ardèche are under orange snow‑ice vigilance Wednesday evening, and local authorities have mobilized salting and plowing operations.
- The Rhône Valley is most exposed to 2–5 cm in plains, locally 5–10 cm, with a freezing‑rain risk in southern Drôme; lighter flurries are possible from the Grand Est through interior Normandy to northern Nouvelle‑Aquitaine.
- Forecast models diverge on precise placement and totals, implying patchy lowland accumulations while some mountain areas—especially in the eastern Pyrenees—could see much heavier snow.
- Météo‑France stresses a moderate cold spell rather than record lows, while a separate clipper is delivering up to about 10 cm of snow in parts of southern and central Quebec.