Paris Sous la Neige: Snow Inspired Delight (and Panic) Hits Paris

Snow has come to Paris and- even more exciting- a fluffy white layer of freshly fallen flakes has stuck around long enough to turn the city into an Instagrammable Winter Wonderland. Unlike the fleeting flutters that occasionally float over the city each winter, melting immediately upon landing, this week’s snowfall has stayed to delight Parisians.

The city hasn’t seen this much snow in ten years, with the 12 centimeters that fell early this month almost beating the record set 30 years ago when 14 centimeters of snow decorated Paris. The event is cause for enchantment in an otherwise grey and dreary time of year, and city dwellers are clearly transfixed, with photos of snowy Paris appearing all across social media.

While not exactly Nordic, the rare sighting of a snow covered Paris is not only cause for excitement, but also panic. Bus service has been cancelled and the SNCF train schedule disturbed. Parisians are being discouraged from taking their cars and contributing to the delays and traffic jams that plague the city and it’s surrounding region l’Ile de France.

Those from snowy parts of the world might scoff at our inexperience with this meteorological phenomenon- a common winter occurrence in many places that aren’t Paris. No worry, Parisians can handle the mockery in exchange for the opportunity to take a snow day and take a walk and rediscover their city, silently transformed by a sheet of snow. Some among us may even be tempted to take off our gloves while we’re at it- just long enough to gather up enough fluff to form a perfect, pearly white snowball.

Related links:

• For more info about the snow-caused chaos in Paris, head over to The Local.
• CNN covers the closure of the Eiffel Tower.
• Don’t let the snow deter you, check out our top events in Paris this February.

Written by Emily Dilling for HiP Paris. All photos courtesy of Ali Postma. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, London, Provence, Tuscany, Umbria or Liguria? Check out Haven In.

WRITTEN BY

Emily Dilling

Emily Dilling is a France based writer and author of My Paris Market Cookbook: A Culinary Tour of French Flavors and Seasonal Recipes. In 2005 Emily moved to Paris from her native California and began exploring the cities markets, restaurants, and cafés. In 2010 she founded the blog Paris Paysanne, where she writes about her favorite addresses and artisans in the city. Emily currently lives in the Loir-et-Cher region of France, where she writes and works in the grapevines.