30 cm of Snow in Charente-Maritime: Unheard of in the Department!

WEATHER: In one night, Charente-Maritime fell into an exceptional winter setting.

In one night, Charente-Maritime fell into an exceptional winter setting. In a few hours, snowfall accumulations reached nearly 30 centimeters in places, accompanied by largely negative temperatures in the early morning. An unprecedented snowy episode, which pushes the authorities to call on residents to limit their movements.

❄️ L’épisode de #neige a été remarquable en #CharenteMaritime où on mesure localement 20 à 30 cm ce matin du mardi 6 janvier 2026, comme ici à #Saintes ! (via Météo 17) pic.twitter.com/7fwylsBZlE
— Guillaume Séchet (@Meteovilles) January 6, 2026

Météo-France had forecast snow in the department, but not as much! Targeted forecasts 15 cm, Charente-Maritime wakes up this morning with 30 centimeters of snow in places.

Since Monday, the region has been experiencing an extraordinary meteorological event, described as exceptional by Météo-France. Rarely has the department experienced such snow depths. At dawn, accumulations reached levels never observed locally: up to 35 centimeters in Saint-Crépin, nearly 30 centimeters in Saint-Médard-d’Aunis or 25 centimeters in Saint-André-de-Lidon, according to measurements from the Climate Info network.

In Saintes, residents discovered between 20 and 30 centimeters of snow.

Be careful on the roads!

30 centimeters of snow seriously disrupts traffic. The departmental council, whose teams are working to clear the roads, advised residents to stay at home if possible.

According to manager Vinci Autoroutes, the A10 is currently cut off to traffic towards Bordeaux, between the Saint-Jean-d’Angély and Saintes interchanges, due to the presence of a truck across the tracks, despite of the driving ban in force for heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes.

Schools remained open but school transport is suspended and rail traffic is very disrupted.

Charente-Maritime still on orange snow ice alert

Further deterioration is expected from Wednesday morning, around 7 a.m. Forecasts still predict 5 to 15 centimetres of snow on the coast, from Charente-Maritime to Brittany, up to 10 centimetres in Normandy, and 2 to 5 centimetres possible as far as Île-de-France.

Charente-Maritime remains placed on orange snow ice alert, just like 25 other departments, at least until 10 a.m. this Tuesday.