French weekend weather forecast January 3 - 4: very cold

Most areas across France will see temperatures between 3C to 5C below seasonal averages for the first weekend of the year, but should be mostly dry. 

Snow will be limited to parts of the east and the Pyrénées, falling at 500m or higher. It will be limited in quantity outside of mountain peaks.

Friday January 2 

Damp conditions north of the Loire will see grey clouds and rain in several areas, which could turn to light snowfall in the east at 300m and above. However, this is not set to be significant and may be washed away by showers. 

Thick grey skies will dominate the south-west and Pyrénées, although rain is unlikely, and cloudy skies are expected along much of the Mediterranean. 

Elsewhere, it will remain mostly sunny amid thin wispy clouds.

Temperatures will remain at 0C or lower in the east, with highs of around 3C for much of the remaining north and centre of France as far south as Lyon and inland Provence/Occitanie, making it a ‘duck cold’ weekend. 

However, Brittany and coastal Normandy will see highs of 7C/8C, higher than the 6C forecast in the south-west. 

The Mediterranean will be the only area to reach double figures, with highs of 12C in Perpignan and Nice, but only around 9C in Marseille and Montpellier. 

Saturday January 3 

Conditions will be cold and dry almost everywhere, save for the north-east where humid conditions will remain, bringing a risk of snowfall to hilly areas although this is not expected to settle. 

Snowfall is forecast in small quantities in the Pyrénées foothills at 500m and above. Showers are expected at lower levels. 

Conditions elsewhere will be mostly sunny save for a few clouds in central France and the south-east, but primarily dry. 

Morning frost is expected, with temperatures between -3C and -7C inland. 

Highs of around 3C in the south-west and the north and 5C in Toulouse are lower than usual for the season, however many parts of the east will see temperatures stay at below 0C throughout the day. 

Along the Mediterranean, highs of 8C are expected, rising to 12C around Nice. 

Sunday January 4 

Cold and dry conditions will cover the entire country, with only the tip of Brittany at risk of showers. 

These cold conditions will be accompanied mostly by sunny skies. 

Morning frost is expected throughout France, with some rural areas seeing overnight temperatures of -10C. Freezing cold fog will be slow to disperse in the east, and drivers should be cautious. 

Temperatures will remain well below seasonal averages, between 0C and 3C in the north, 1C in the south-west and potentially only up to 4C in Montpellier. 

In the east, temperatures will continue to stay in minus figures, potentially remaining at -3C or below for the entire day. 

Only Nice will see temperatures above 10C. 

Early forecasts for next week suggest dry conditions will remain until Wednesday, when Atlantic rains begin to sweep across the country. 

As temperatures remain so low however, it may lead to widespread snowfall. More accurate forecasts should be available at the start of next week.