If 2022 represents the year of all records between heat waves, heat waves and temperatures above seasonal normals in the fall, the cold has been felt for a few weeks in France with average temperatures 4 to 5°C. Snow also appeared in a good number of departments as well as freezing rain. No doubt we have indeed entered winter! So for this month of February should we keep the down jackets or are we going to experience a historically warm winter?

At the start of the year, a weakening of the polar vortex seems to have been observed, which may presage a few episodes of extreme cold throughout the territory. However, the predictions of Météo France for the first quarter of 2023 seem to announce “the alternation of possibly cold or milder episodes” and “does not exclude occasional episodes with temperatures that may be locally lower than normal”. In other words, prepare to be cold, but not too cold!

For this beginning of February, Regis Crepet, meteorologist who deciphers the 4-week trends on the Weather Channel, predicts a first fortnight with dry and beautiful weather accompanied by snow in the mountains. Perfect for the upcoming holidays! A few morning frosts are also to be expected, but no extreme cold on the horizon.

The return of rain and mild weather is expected in the second half of February. However, according to experts, the rainfall could still be insufficient for the month of February.

Unlike the previous four years, this month of February 2023 seems to be generally respecting seasonal norms. At the start of the month, the mercury could be slightly below seasonal averages until February 8, then increase slightly in the following weeks. The end of the month will be milder, but will not exceed 2°C above average.

Remember that in February 2019, France had experienced exceptional sunshine and many temperature records. According to the Weather Channel, in some cities, the temperature range had exceeded 25°C.