Icy on the roads could affect traffic in a large part of France on Friday January 19, due to freezing temperatures expected in the morning, after the snowy episode of mid-week.
Météo-France has placed seventy-five departments on yellow “snow-ice” vigilance, from Aveyron to the North and from Finistère to Bas-Rhin. The meteorologist had predicted negative temperatures for Friday morning which could lead to a refreeze affecting the passability of the roads.
Météo-France specifies that “the coldest value observed in France is located in Arras, with − 14.7 degrees”, the coldest temperature ever recorded in this station, opened in 1987. However, this remains to be put into perspective, “because there was a very significant cold spell in 1985, but we didn’t have a station in Arras.”
The Hauts-de-France region has suspended school transport, like the two previous days, this time due to icy conditions. As a result, classes are still suspended in certain high schools and colleges for a third day in a row. The rectorates of Lille and Amiens have called on schools and establishments to maintain “minimum reception” and distance learning.
Transportation disrupted
In Normandy, school transport is interrupted in the departments of Eure and Seine-Maritime. Calvados and Orne remain on orange alert for the risk of flooding.
Despite sometimes very low temperatures (− 10 degrees near Louviers or Vernon, in Eure), no notable traffic problems have been reported for the moment in the Great West.
In Brest, tram traffic, suspended due to weather conditions, resumed Friday morning. In Finistère and Côtes-d’Armor in particular, some wet roads raise fears of ice at daybreak, particularly on the busy secondary network, despite salting in progress since 4:30 a.m. Friday.
The Cantal prefecture also banned school transport on Friday morning, as well as the movement of heavy goods vehicles, from the beginning of Thursday evening, on several roads in the department. Several portions of the A75 motorway will be closed to traffic, in Cantal, Puy-de-Dôme and Haute-Loire.
In Aisne, the prefecture announced restrictions for heavy goods vehicles, and indicated that speed will be limited to 110 kilometers per hour instead of 130 and 90 kilometers per hour instead of 110 for all vehicles .
As for trains, the TER Hauts-de-France network confirms on X that “train traffic is disrupted and will remain so until Saturday January 20” and that SNCF coaches will run from Friday afternoon.