30 January 2012

Neige !

Snow has started falling in the southern part of Normandy, including around Alençon and Le Mans. According to the weather reports on TéléMatin, the snow is moving south toward La Touraine this morning. Later in the day, it will start snowing in the Auvergne, which is the mountainous region in south central France.

I put Tours and Paris on the morning weather map
so that you can get yourself oriented.

Since we've lived in Saint-Aignan — nearly nine years now — we've had a little bit of snow nearly every winter. In December 2010 (a year ago), we had an unusually snowy period early in the month — snow stayed on the ground for a couple of weeks. Usually, the temperature doesn't stay below freezing for more than three or four days. Until now, it has been exceptionally mild this winter.

The orange area is where snow is supposed to fall today.

Predictions for snowfall amounts in this current "event" are 5 to 10 centimeters — that's 2 to 4 inches. The most we've ever had on the ground since 2003 has been about 15 cm (6 in.). This morning, we'll just stay in and see if it really does start snowing. We don't need to go anywhere.

12 comments:

  1. Merci, Ken! Meteociel is saying the same [with orange alert]... but it gives the snow in mms of water. Your weather map gives the possible depth of snow... it is pretty well frozen here; should settle well.

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  2. Looking forward to it! I love a bit of snow. It's the melting slushy aftermath I dislike.

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  3. My first three reads on FaceBook this morning were about your snow over there. It had started to fall already in Angers and at Amy H.'s house, and Walt said, "It's not snowing yet." All of that was about 2 or 3 hours ago, so I'm wondering what you have now!

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  4. No snow falling here in the far east of Touraine... not yet, anyway. I'm almost disappointed.

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  5. Love looking at your weather maps which seem more colorful and exciting than ours. Let it snow!

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  6. I an so envious! It's high 30s centigrade here in Western Australia. I look forward to some snowy vineyard photos Ken.

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  7. Ken

    Is it "après moi la tempête" ?
    in reference to the mea culpa of Sarkozy last night !!

    LOL!

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  8. It's snowing now but the snow is not sticking on the road or on the grass. We'll see what happens tonight — it's 5 pm now.

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  9. The last time I saw snow was in Paris and it caused us to have to sit on a plane for almost seven hours.

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  10. On the news:

    En raison de chutes de neige, une départementale située à Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt (Indre-et-Loire) a été coupée dans les deux sens entre Azay-le-Rideau et Chinon, selon le Centre régional d'information et de circulation routière (CRICR).

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  11. Beaver, I heard this on the news. I believe several big trucks were stuck because of the snow and blocking that highway.

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  12. Winter at last. Here in New Zealand we are having the best summer on record. (in Central Otago at least)

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What's on your mind? Qu'avez-vous à me dire ?