Parisians got their first real taste of winter on Thursday, November 21, as the first snow fell over the French capital. (Video: @angeelikakoit via Storyful)
PARIS — The City of Lights became the City of White on Thursday, as an early winter storm brought a rare November blanket of snow to Paris.
Photos showed several iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame, draped in a winter wonderland.
About 1.5 inches (4 cm) of snow fell in Paris as Storm Caetano swept across the French plains Thursday and Friday, Meteo France said. It was the most snow measured in Paris since 1968 when about 2 inches fell.
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: People walk on the Bridge of Arts, next to the Institute of France, during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – NOVEMBER 21: People watch the Eiffel Tower during snowfall in Paris, France on November 21, 2024. (Photo by Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: A woman walks with an umbrella at the Bridge of Arts, during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: View of the Ferris wheel in the Tuileries Garden during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: People walk on the Pont des Arts, next to the Louvre Palace, during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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TOPSHOT – The railway tracks of the Gare du Nord are seen in heavy snowfall as Paris is placed under the second highest weather warning by the French national weather service for snow, in central Paris on November 21, 2024. Snow all the way to the plains, temperatures worthy of January: the first flakes of storm Caetano fell in France on November 21, where 54 departments are on ‘orange alert’ for snow, ice and wind. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP) (Photo by JOEL SAGET/Afp/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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This photograph shows a general view of the Paris skyline during heavy snowfall as Paris is placed under the second highest weather warning by the French national weather service for snow, in the district of Montmartre, in Paris on November 21, 2024. Snow all the way to the plains, temperatures worthy of January: the first flakes of storm Caetano fell in France on November 21, where 54 departments are on ‘orange alert’ for snow, ice and wind. (Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP) (Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/Afp/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: A bus seen at a bus stop on the Rue de Rivoli during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: View of the Paris City Hall building during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: View of the Pont Neuf, during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: View of the main façade of Notre Dame Cathedral during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: People walk along the Chatelet Les Halles area of Paris during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: A view of the Institute of France during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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TOPSHOT – This photograph shows a part of the “Nymphs of the Seine: statue on the Alexandre III bridge in heavy snowfall as Paris is placed under the second highest weather warning by the French national weather service for snow, in central Paris on November 21, 2024. Snow all the way to the plains, temperatures worthy of January: the first flakes of storm Caetano fell in France on November 21, where 54 departments are on ‘orange alert’ for snow, ice and wind. (Photo by Grégoire CAMPIONE / AFP) (Photo by GREGOIRE CAMPIONE/Afp/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: View of a street in Fontenay-sous-Bois, during the snowfall of Storm Caetano, on the outskirts of Paris. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
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PARIS, FRANCE – 2024/11/21: View of the entrance to the Samaritaine shopping center on the Rue de Rivoli during the snowfall of Storm Caetano. Storm Caetano arrived in the Paris region with snowfall which has not been seen in November for 56 years, with 4 centimetres of snow on the streets of the French capital. Météo-France has placed 38 departments in France under orange alert. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) ( )
Other areas across north-central France received 3-6 inches. Snow totals reached 12-20 inches in the Alps with the peaks netting over 2 feet.
Temperatures briefly dipped into the upper 20s in Paris on Friday morning, but dropped into the teens in some locales, with a low of 13 degrees F in Bourdons-sur-Rognon.
In addition to the snow, Caetano brought strong winds with gusts reaching 70-80 mph along France’s Atlantic Coast and 55-65 mph across south-central France.
But the snow has since abated, and chilly weather was taking a rapid flip away from winter over the weekend. Warmer southwest winds were set to boost temperatures into the mid-upper 60s, and reach into the 70s in the Basque Country.