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Weather: a "polar vortex" could hit the capital this weekend

undefined undefined 19 janvier 2026 undefined 12h00

The Editor

© Jagoda Bartus / Le Bonbon

Recently, the Parisian weather has seen quite a remarkable rise in temperatures for this time of year, but things might be changing in the coming days. Indeed, there’s no rest for the brave; after the "weather bomb" earlier this month, a true "polar vortex" could hit the capital by the end of the week.

Indeed, the Parisian weather just loves to toy with our nerves! After a week of cold, snow, and wind, a little warmth allowed the bravest among us to enjoy the evening terraces once again. There’s a delightful rise in temperatures (even if it comes with quite a bit of rain), but we want to give you a heads up: we hope you haven’t already packed away your parkas and puffy jackets for good, because the weather might just take a turn for the worse again.


A Mild… but Gloomy Start to the Week

Let’s not put the cart before the horse! Before diving into the potential plunge into chaos that awaits us at the end of the week, let’s take a moment to focus on the forecasts for the upcoming days. And overall, we’re warning you, it won’t be a significant change from what we experienced last week. Generally, expect temperatures between 3 and 11°C so…

It won't be the best week weather-wise, and the sky will mostly be gray, cloudy, and even rainy. Luckily, a few lovely clearings will manage to break through the clouds here and there.


A strong return of winter

Unfortunately, this Sunday, January 25 could mark a turning point in our little lives, as a cold wave could sweep over the capital. What’s behind this potential return of snow? For the past few weeks, the countries in the North of Europe have been hit by an unprecedented cold wave. -43°C in Finnish Lapland, -50°C in Stockholm, and -60°C in Siberia. And while, for now, this reservoir of icy air, also known as the polar vortex, is stuck up at the top of the Old Continent, it’s expected to move down toward the southwest, and thus France, in the coming days, potentially affecting Île-de-France in the process. Well, we still want to reassure you, even though Paris, it looks beautiful under the snow, for now, the the likelihood of this scenario is still relatively low, and it would require a number of factors. So no need to panic right away!