Love it or hate it, snow is a holiday staple. As the month of December is in full swing, much of France woke up covered in a thin white coat this Wednesday, December 14, 2022. But the lightness of the snowflakes will soon be replaced by heavy freezing rain by locations…
“After yesterday’s calm and dry weather in the north, the weather is clearly deteriorating with a light episode of snow and freezing rain”, warns La Chaîne Météo. Before continuing: “In the south, the temperatures rise significantly compared to Tuesday and are even significantly higher than normal in the south-west with an almost spring-like feeling south of the Garonne”.
In short, around twenty departments are affected by the arrival of freezing rain this Wednesday. Check out the full list in our slideshow below*.
A rare but feared phenomenon, freezing rain forms when the rain encounters “a layer of the atmosphere at negative temperatures”, explains the site specializing in meteorology. At the time of this meeting, the rain can also turn into snow, or hail.
On the road as on the road, freezing rain must arouse increased vigilance. “The accumulated weight of ice on overhead cables and tree branches can also cause them to give way,” explains the forecaster.
*The information provided is based on Météo France forecasts for Wednesday December 14, 2022 at 8 a.m., and is likely to change during the day.