Our beautiful Mediterranean regions have just experienced a significant rainy episode. The accumulations have been around 200 mm locally in the Corbières, otherwise frequently 50 to 100 mm in the Pyrénées-Orientales, Aude and western Hérault. Good snowfall also occurred on the reliefs, above around 1500 m! What to expect for our weekend? Cold ! Obviously, nothing exceptional (we would have already spoken about it otherwise, and especially no qualifier of “polar cold” as we could hear in the media for a week) …
Synoptically speaking, we are under the influence of a cold drop being absorbed over the Mediterranean. At the same time, a beautiful high pressure ridge rises from the Azores towards Greenland. This is a nice high pressure surge, but not strictly speaking a blockage. This configuration will promote a release of low-pressure and low-geopotentials between Scandinavia and France, in a flow from the north MARITIME (configuration bringing moderate cold). Because yes … To have small frosts at the end of November and a floconnade at low altitude, it is neither more nor less normal …!
Concretely, for tomorrow Friday, the flow of the northern sector begins. In the plain, we will have an alternation of cloudy passages (thick cloudy veil) and periods of clearing, which is a fairly mixed feeling during the day. The reliefs remain blocked. We expect small snowfalls from 500/600 m on Espinouse and the Montagne Noire (especially on the north slope) with a layer that can reach 5 cm at 700 m and 10 cm at more than 1000 m. A few flakes and snow showers are also forecast in Lozère, at the same altitudes, with a more significant frequency in Aubrac.
Temperatures are falling everywhere, with light frost generalized in the mountains and minimum / maximum levels falling on our plains (see our “forecast” section on the site). For this weekend, the north flow is getting even more dynamic. Saturday, passage of a very attenuated disturbance at daybreak, then the sun dominates during the morning, before the return of clouds sliding from the reliefs towards the plains, giving a mixed feeling in the afternoon. New snow showers are expected from around 500 m on our landforms in Lozère, 600 m on the Cévennes / Espinouse / Montagne Noire. On the Pyrenees, it rather flakes at 800/900 m. The quantities are low. Temperatures are still dropping a notch, with frosts expected especially on the Gard in the plain! Maximum <10 ° C except perhaps on the Pyrénées-Orientales side.
For Sunday, the clearings dominate in the plain. Clouds are more numerous at the end of the day, evening and following night. We will monitor during the night from Sunday to Monday and / or Monday morning the arrival of a disturbance attenuated by the north. It will snow lightly at all altitudes in Lozère and Aveyron, as well as in the west of the Ardèche. Snowfall in small quantities from 500 m on the Pyrenees. Certain scenarios see a few showers (insignificant, we insist on this) overflowing to the interior plains of Gard and Hérault, with a P / N limit close to 300/350 m!
The presence of a moderate NNW sector wind will limit the extent of frosts over the region, although the minimum will often be around 2 or 3 ° C. It will freeze more frankly on the Gard, temporarily unwound at the end of the night. As for the maximums, they promise to be winter, being around 7 or 8 ° C in the windy corridors, 9 or 10 ° C in the areas less exposed to the wind. Frosts could gain ground during the next week.
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