The commune of Mouthe in eastern France recorded temperatures of -20C on Tuesday morning, the year’s shortest day. Temperatures between -3C and -5C were recorded in the Grand Est and Auvergne Rhône-Alpes regions.

Average temperature across the country of about 3C are predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday.

François Jobard of Météo France said that the country was probably heading towards the coldest winter solstice in 15 years, although he added that measuring temperatures around the winter solstice was not necessarily the best way to assess climatic trends, saying it is more worthwhile measuring average temperatures over a 15-day period. 

De façon purement anecdotique, on s'achemine vers la journée de #solstice d'hiver la plus froide en France depuis probablement 15 ans, avec une température moyenne sur les journées des 21 et 22 décembre voisine de 3 °C. pic.twitter.com/DfFMp4DbSB

— Francois Jobard (@Francois_Jobard) December 20, 2021

An extreme cold spell is currently gripping eastern Europe and while France should be spared for Christmas, New Year’s Eve celebrations might get chilly. 

December 25th is set to be drizzly across the majority of the country, although by the afternoon, temperatures will mostly be in the double digits. Eastern France will be dryer than western parts of the country, but by the evening, it is predicted to rain across the board. 

Map: Météo France