Just as an FYI for everyone, we have had a bitterly cold snap here in the Paris region, and it has been snowing since well before I awoke this morning at 07.00.
There%26#39;s now 1-1/2%26quot; (4 cm) of snow on the ground, and it%26#39;s still coming...light, but persistent. Temps are -3C (28F) and it%26#39;s not supposed to get above 32F/0C for several more days.
The streets and sidewalks are sheets of ice under the snow (it took me 45 minutes to go 6 miles this evening)and moving around is treacherous, at minimum.
I know that they are gritting/salting the autoroutes, but the N (national) and D (departmental) roads haven%26#39;t been touched, even in some of the larger towns in the Ile-de-France region.
The news just reported some 1 600 passengers stranded at CDG.
Call your airline and doublecheck your travel plans before leaving... and waiting another day before setting out in the car might be a very good idea.
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We leave Washington DC tomorrow evening and arrive in Paris Wednesday morning.
Are we looking at an awful day or more of delays, etc?
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I just spoke with my airline (United) and they said they were experiencing no problems into paris at this time.
It sounds like maybe the problem is getting transportation away from the airport though.
We set up a transfer service through our hotel so hopefully they would let us know if there was a problem.
And we are not arriving for 30+ hours so hopefully things will be cleared up!
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It was fun while it lasted but all the snow on the ground is gone at this point. I%26#39;d be surprised if air transport interruptions will be an issue after tonight if current projections are accurate.
We had 2 inches of snow in our garden at 13h00 and it was completely gone by 17h00. It%26#39;s now 21h30 and it%26#39;s like there was no snow today.
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It%26#39;s always a few degrees warmer in the city...out here toward Disney, there%26#39;s definitely not been any melting!
The ring road on Disney was slowed to about 20kph today...at 4pm...so any thawing was nearing the end for today (and the slush was freezing fast).
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and CDG is definitely NOT in the city.
Reports of strandings came from the local paper%26#39;s website: http://www.leparisien.fr
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Snow isnt usually a problem when it falls at at CDG, but fog can cause everything to stop. I know this...
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Oh, yes, Wiz...and here along the Marne, we have the same situation you have there on the Loire...river+valley+fog = don%26#39;t even think of trying to go somewhere!
By the way -- LeMonde is now reporting that flights have resumed, so schedules should be sorted in 24-36 hours or so.
It%26#39;s now being reported that it was primarily European flights that were affected, but it could still cause problems with schedules and moving through the airport for a while.
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My courtyard is still full of snow, and my poor balcony begonias are full too.
They did close Luxembourg Garden last week due to ice, so plan accordingly and plan your walks around local cafes or crepe stands with hot beverages. Chilly indeed.
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So could we locals somehow summarize our concerns for the benefit of visitors coming to Paris this week?
I don%26#39;t think there are any. It%26#39;s cold of course but the trains are running and the freeways are %26quot;fluide%26quot;. The RATP and the airport authorities aren%26#39;t freaking out. That%26#39;s about it from my POV.
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Yes, the freeways are fluide...the lesser roads (like, say, someone might drive on to get to Disney) are anywhere from barely passable to wet and slushy.
Seine-et-Marne suspended transport for students today, as they felt road conditions were too dangerous.
The concern is...the airport was closed...now it%26#39;s open, but they%26#39;re still working out the backlog of passengers, and the roads are still anywhere from dodgy to dangerous. Thought I%26#39;d put out the heads-up, lest someone show up expecting an easy drive, and having it become a two-hour slog to Disney.
If I didn%26#39;t know you to be one of the nicer posters here, I%26#39;d say you were accusing me of making things up. It%26#39;s great that things have thawed in Paris...but there are those who are traveling outside the Peripherique, and I thought they might be interested to know that things are still a little messy here.
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