A sudden hail and mixed snow shower surprised Paris residents in the early afternoon on Thursday, November 20. The brief event caused no major disruptions and fits into an early winter pattern across France. The government urges drivers to exercise caution for the upcoming weekend.
On Thursday, November 20, around 2:30 PM, Paris experienced a short hail and mixed snow shower that crossed the city's districts for a few minutes. The hailstones and snowflakes surprised residents, but the episode quickly cleared, leaving a sunny sky with no disruptions to transport or users in Île-de-France.
France has been in winter mode since the start of the week, with temperatures below seasonal norms. This situation is likely to continue and intensify in the coming days. Accordingly, 53 departments are on yellow alert for snow and bad weather.
The Transport Minister, through Philippe Tabarot, urged drivers to be cautious ahead of a “quite complicated” weekend. “Our obsession over the 10,000 kilometers of national roads or the 10,000 kilometers of motorways we manage is, of course, to secure them; that's the top priority,” he stated. SNCF expects no disruptions on its network, and Bison Futé rates the entire territory green for traffic from Friday to Sunday.
Philippe Tabarot launched the 2025 winter viability device, mobilizing 7,500 agents from mid-November to mid-March. Since November 1, vehicles in mountainous municipalities of 34 departments must be equipped with winter tires (marked 3PMSF), snow chains, or snow socks until March 31. La Chaîne Météo forecasts sharp cold and widespread frost on Saturday, followed by snow or freezing rain on Sunday in some areas, requiring heightened vigilance in the southeast quarter and mountain zones.