French weekend weather outlook March 28 - 29: cool with some rain

A rainy weekend is in store for most of France, with chilly mornings and strong winds in the south. 

Temperatures will remain below norms for the season, with the continued risk of morning frost.

As a reminder, clocks move forward one hour this Sunday (March 29), as France implements Daylight Saving Time.

Friday March 27 

A chilly and frosty morning across northern and central France will slowly turn into a calm, if cool, day. 

Rain will be limited to Normandy and Brittany, remaining on the coast before moving inland late into the evening. 

While much of the north will remain cloudy despite a lack of rain, the south will see plenty of sunshine, as much as 11 hours in the south-east. In contrast, parts of Normandy will see no sunshine at all. 

Highs of 13C - 15C in the south are still below average for the season, however, and in the north it may struggle to reach above 10C, and in parts of the east stay closer to 7C. 

Saturday March 28 

Friday evening’s rain will move inland early in the morning, eventually covering France from the Basque Country to Alsace. 

Rain will not be particularly strong, but persistent showers are forecast in the affected areas.

In parts of central France (around Vichy) and in the east, a light dusting of snow is possible. 

Snow is more likely at altitudes of 800m and above. 

In the south, the Mistral and Tramontane winds will blow at 80km/h - 90km/h.

Highs of around 8C in the north and 12C in the south are forecast, potentially 14C - 18C along the Riviera where there will be plenty of sun. 

In the east temperatures are forecast to remain at 4C or below. 

In all instances, this is around 3C below seasonal averages. 

Frost is still expected across much of the country. 

Sunday March 29 

Sunday should see a change, with rain limited to the Breton coast and Pyrénées. 

The sun will return, with thin wispy clouds in the north and almost total sunshine across the south, although strong Mistral and Tramontane winds are still expected.

Snow is forecast in the upper reaches of the Alps.

Temperatures will increase, with highs of 10C - 12C in the north, 8C in the east, and 14C in the south. 

Nice could even see temperatures of 17C. 

These remain slightly below average for the season, but are the highest in around a week. 

Despite these afternoon highs, the threat of morning frosts persists, with overnight temperatures of around 0C in much of central, northern, and eastern France. 

Early forecasts for next week see new passages of rain across much of France from Monday to Wednesday, before a return to calm at the end of the week.