Travellers in France face further snow-related disruption today (January 7), after fresh snowfall overnight caused renewed problems on the roads.
More snow is expected for a third consecutive day today with up to 15cms forecast in parts of the north.
The A8 motorway heading south towards Aix-en-Provence and Marseille was closed this morning following a series of accidents related to the weather conditions.
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It is set to re-open around 15:00.
Speed limit reductions are in place around Paris, with a maximum limit of 70 km/h on all roads until 20:00 tonight. Electronic signage will inform drivers of limits near the capital.
Up to 1,500km of traffic has been recorded this morning in the Île-de-France region due to vehicles travelling much slower than usual.
Bus routes in the capital – heavily restricted yesterday – will slowly resume operations throughout the day. However in Lille all bus route are temporarily suspended.
Periods of freezing rain in Nouvelle-Aquitaine are expected to increase risks for motorists, with conditions becoming particularly hazardous.
Le Figaro-owned forecaster La Chaîne Météo has advised people in departments affected by snow and freezing rain to avoid driving unless it is strictly necessary.
It comes after six driving-related deaths caused by the weather conditions on Monday and Tuesday, including three in Landes.
Several accidents have been recorded this morning due to the snow, including on the A8 as well as in Pas-de-Calais. More information is expected later in the deay.
Alerts for icy roads and black ice in place
Heightened tier-three orange alerts for icy roads and black ice (neige-verglas) are in place in 38 departments, ranging from the German border to as far south as Corrèze and Charente.
Warnings will be lifted gradually throughout the day, but as of 14:00 are set to remain in place until midnight in three departments: Corrèze, Haute-Vienne, and Creuse. These locations saw fresh snowfall begin around 10:00, and has seen lorries forced to stop roadside due to conditions.
Pour mercredi 07 janvier 2026 : 🟠 38 départements en Vigilance orange
Several train lines are disrupted in the centre and west, including the Bordeaux-La Rochelle line, Orléans-Nantes and Tours-Angers.
Routes out of Paris to the west, including to Orléans and Le Mans, as well east as to Mulhouse and Strasbourg are facing delays this morning.
No TGV high-speed trains are impacted, although many are limited to lower speeds than usual, which may result in delays to journeys.
Flights to and from Paris’ two main airports are disrupted.
The French Civil Aviation Authority is asking those set to travel today to contact their airline for updates, with up to 40% of flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle and 25% from Paris Orly set to be cancelled this morning.
Routes to and from Nantes Airport are also disrupted until around midday.
Snow to continue throughout day
Up to 15cm of snow fell in the Ardennes overnight, as snowfall that started in the north gradually moved across the south.
However, in some places such as Dunkerque, snowfall only began around 06:00. Some homes in the area were left without heating last night due to a technical issue.
Snow is set to fall until around midday in the north and west, before it slowly moves east to cover central and eastern areas, and will fall until around 18:00.
The graphic below shows expected snowfall today, although in some rural locations snowfall may be slightly higher - for example, up to 10cm of snow is expected in Champagne this afternoon.
By the evening, snowfall will be limited to a small flurry overnight near the German border, but from Thursday onwards is set to end.
Freezing cold temperatures tonight will be the end of the cold period, as temperatures are set to rise tomorrow as the wind patterns currently above France are pushed out.
As of midday, around 2,000 homes in western France were without power, with issues linked directly to the weather conditions.
Météo France has been criticised by Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot for underestimating the level of snowfall at the start of this week.
The forecaster responded by saying it had been warning of significant snowfall since Saturday and that it is “complex” to predict this type of phenomenon accurately.
