Overview
- Overnight from December 24 to 25, widespread snow reached low elevations from the Rhône valley to Brittany, delivering a rare white Christmas in many towns.
- Paris recorded subzero temperatures on December 25 for the first time since 2010, with readings down to about −0.6°C at the Montsouris station.
- On Friday, three departments remained on orange vigilance: the Aude for river floods and the Pyrénées-Orientales and Haute-Corse for heavy rain-flood risk, with Vigicrues closely watching the Orbieu, Berre and Agly.
- Roughly 15 to 20 departments activated the ‘plan grand froid’, adding emergency shelter capacity and reinforcing outreach; in the Nord, authorities opened 385 additional places.
- Forecasters expect significant mountain snowfall including up to about 1.5 meters on the Canigou by Saturday, with avalanche and transport hazards, localized freezing rain flagged for some inland areas, and possible coastal waves-submersion along Roussillon.