Winter Wonderland in Paris?
Dec 21, 2004, 3:17 pm
#1
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Winter Wonderland in Paris?
Has anyone ever experienced a snowy atmostphere while traveling in Paris? Can someone shed some light on what the 'city of lights' is like in a white winter especially during X'mas? How often does it snow over here anyways?
Dec 21, 2004, 6:47 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2001
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Yes, although it was maybe a dozen years ago, so can't tell you how often snow occurs. It was beautiful - but bitter cold, obviously, a Siberian front that stayed and stayed - temps probably in the teens.
I remember the Tuilleries were magnificent, thick snow with scarcely a footprint, and the fountains frozen solid, great arcs of ice.
This is also when I first noticed that many French men wore long coats lined with fur, at least some of the men in the 8th and 1st!
IMO, snowy Paris is a bit like visiting Moscow: wonderful to see once, but you wouldn't want to repeat it.
I remember the Tuilleries were magnificent, thick snow with scarcely a footprint, and the fountains frozen solid, great arcs of ice.
This is also when I first noticed that many French men wore long coats lined with fur, at least some of the men in the 8th and 1st!
IMO, snowy Paris is a bit like visiting Moscow: wonderful to see once, but you wouldn't want to repeat it.
Dec 21, 2004, 7:08 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 298
Parisians like to tell you that it doesn't really snow in Paris, but I got caught in a big snowstorm there in January 2003 that brought the city to a halt (except for the Metro). There was a bit of scandal because it was the sunday evening after the holidays and 20,000 motorists spent the night in their cars on the outskirts of Paris because the roads into town were not cleared. In January 2004 I got stuck on the tarmac at CDG for 4 hours because a snowstorm hit just as my plane was supposed to take off; we waited out for the storm to ease up and for the runways to be cleared.
But I think these are the exceptions; usually in the winter there it is not that much different than San Francisco, maybe just a little bit chillier and more damp.
But I think these are the exceptions; usually in the winter there it is not that much different than San Francisco, maybe just a little bit chillier and more damp.
Dec 22, 2004, 8:44 am
#5
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I lived in Paris for 8 years, and during that time it probably snowed at least once every winter, maybe with a couple winters sans neige. Most of the time it was just damp and cold. One winter, we had a huge snowstorm that shut everything down. Other snow days were more "typical" -- very little accumulation and usually washed away by rain in a day or two.
Colorado is much different.
Colorado is much different.