Weather: on this date, France enters the meteorological winter and there are many changes

France is soon entering “meteorological winter”: “what changes should we expect” ?

The beginning of December marks the official arrival of meteorological winter in France. But be careful, it should not be confused with calendar winter, the dates of which do not always coincide. As The Weather Channel points out, their difference “lies primarily in the way these seasons are defined and in their use for practical purposes.”

According to the traditional definition of the seasons, the calendar winter begins around December 20 and ends around March 20. At this time, the days are still not very sunny and struggle to reach 9 o'clock due to the Earth's tilt which prevents the sun from shining on us in the same way as in summer.

On its side, meteorological winter begins on December 1st and ends around February 28th and 29th. However, depending on the year, this three-month period can be extended to change. "This definition is used by climatologists and meteorologists for practical reasons, as it simplifies the analysis of climate trends by grouping the months of the same season into fixed periods. Indeed, fixed periods of three months (meteorological winter) are more suitable for collecting climate data and 'long-term trend analysis", says La Chaine Météo. 

© La Chaine Météo

This is because the beginning of December brings many climatic changes for France, influenced by geography and atmospheric conditions. In meteorological winter, daytime temperatures fluctuate between 3 and 10°C in most of the country. Some regions are still likely to experience significant weather variations, with January being colder than elsewhere, according to forecast models.

In the north of France, temperatures are lower, sometimes falling below 0°C, while in the south, particularly along the Côte d'Azur and in the southwest, the average is between 7 and 10°C. Between December and March, significant snowfall is expected. expected in mountainous areas (Alps, Massif Central, Pyrenees). Despite everything, experts are seeing a clear decrease in days of frost and snow. Enough to extinguish any hope of experiencing a Christmas under the snowflakes.

In fact, due to global warming, winters are tending to become milder in France. According to Météo-France, "winter 2023-2024 ranks 3rd among the mildest winters since 1900 behind itére winter 2019-2020(+2.3 °C) and winter 2015-2016(+2.1 °C)". À Originally, the national winter average was +5.4°C, but since the beginning of our century, this average has often been between 7 and 10°C.