2026 clearly decided to start with a fresh, clean slate. Since Monday, January 5, 2026, a large part of the country has been experiencing intense cold and snowy episodes, placing 38 departments under orange alert for snow and frost on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. -5°C in Paris, -8.5°C in Toulouse, -13.4°C in Oise... On average, temperatures are 4 to 6°C lower than the seasonal norms. Although surprising, this cold snap, which hasn't occurred in eight years, is by no means breaking the temperature records previously seen in France.
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An episode but not a cold wave
Between 3 and 7 cm of snow is expected in the north, the Centre region, and even the Paris area on Wednesday, January 7, 2026. And when it snows, that means great cold. Negative temperatures are the norm in much of the country. However, we can't really call this episode a "cold wave," as specified by Météo-France. "A cold wave is a lasting and widespread episode of cold (at least 3 days) ", as indicated by the national temperature indicators, which gather certain criteria.s: to be at least once below -2°C, not to rise permanently above 0.9°C.
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A French record at -36.4°C
If such a cold episode hadn't been recorded since 2018, the temperature record is still far from being reached. It was in Mouthe, a village located in the Doubs, that they recorded -36.7°C.;temperatures recorded by Météo-France in January 1968. One local station even recorded -41°C, but this data has never been confirmed.
Météo-France reminds us of some safety guidelines while the orange alert is in effect : limit your travel, equip your vehicle and bring food and blankets, avoid using combustion heaters continuously, stay informed with the authorities.
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