Paris in the snow– it’s magical! But Paris under snow, and on Christmas Day, is (almost) unheard of! In fact, it’s been 15 years since France last experienced a truly white Christmas. But this year, things could well change… According to meteorologists at Météo France, snow is set to reappear during the festive season. But this year, the Île-de-France region and Paris are likely to experience more rain and fog than snow…
Paris under snow for Christmas?
Unfortunately, while regions such as Alsace and Haute-Savoie are more likely to experience Snow for Christmas, this will probably not be the case for Paris. As one Météo France expert put it:
“With climate disruption, episodes of snow on the plains have been much less frequent since the 1980s, as has the duration of snow cover on the massifs.”
As we have seen, the last snowy episode in Paris in November lasted less than 24 hours… And with temperatures easing since the start of December, it’s hard for the capital to imagine a blanket of snow covering its rooftops. According to Wheather’N’Co meteorologist Yann Amice, interviewed by Ouest France, temperatures could be slightly above seasonal normals in the week of December 20-24, with a drop in mercury… likely around the Mediterranean. That’s right, it’ll be warmer by the sea than in Paris!
The expert specifies that rain and fog, as well as unseasonably warm temperatures, could accompany Parisians between December 25 and 31, although snow is unlikely… An abnormally mild Christmas month, a direct consequence of global warming, which means that our chances of a snowy December 25th are remote.
It’s been 15 years since Paris last enjoyed a snowy Christmas!
On December 25, 2010, Paris donned its finest coat of sparkling snow, to the delight of young and old alike. This year, according to the whitexmas website, our chances are down… to 10%. No snowy Christmas, but a happy one without a doubt!