Paris in winter, from December to February, has average highs of 8 °C to 9 °C (46–48 °F) and lows of 3 °C to 4 °C (37–39 °F), according to Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals, with overcast skies on many days and only 8 to 10 hours of daylight. Snow is light and almost never sticks; in return you get Christmas, the January sales and museums with smaller crowds.
| Temperature (Dec–Feb) | 3 °C to 9 °C: average low of 3.2 °C in January, average high of 8.8 °C in February (Météo-France, 1991–2020) |
|---|---|
| Snow | about 2 to 4 days a month, rarely settling on the ground |
| Daylight | from 8h15 on Dec 21 to more than 10 hours in mid-February |
| Rain | 42 to 62 mm a month, over 9 to 11 days |
| Soldes 2027 (sales) | from January 6 (8 a.m.) to February 2, 2027 |
| Ice skating | Grand Palais from Dec 13, 2026 to Jan 6, 2027, from €27 (adult, morning) |
| Hotel | cheaper outside holidays and fashion weeks; compare with the same dates in July |
| Closed | Louvre: Tuesdays, Dec 25 and Jan 1; Versailles: Mondays and Dec 25 |
Status checked on November 7, 2026 on official channels.
How cold is Paris between December and February?
Between 3 °C and 9 °C (37–48 °F) on average, and the number is not what bites, the humidity is: relative humidity averages between 78% and 84% across the three months, and damp cold “gets in” more than the thermometer suggests. Wind makes it worse: in Météo-France data, January averages 6 days with gusts above 58 km/h (36 mph), and December and February have 5.
Dica: Aproveite também para fazer estes passeios em Paris
Tour pelo exterior da catedral de Notre Dame + Ingresso da cripta . Duração: 2 horas
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Veja mais passeio em Paris aqui.
In torreeiffel.com.br’s November 2026 survey, using the 1991–2020 normals from the Paris-Montsouris station, Paris winter looks like this:
| Month | Avg. high / low | Frost days | Rain (mm) | Sun (hours per month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December | 8.0 °C / 3.8 °C | 5.4 | 62 | 57 |
| January | 7.6 °C / 3.2 °C | 7.0 | 47.6 | 59 |
| February | 8.8 °C / 3.3 °C | 5.3 | 41.8 | 84 |
A frost day is one when the low reaches 0 °C (32 °F) or below. Source: Paris-Montsouris climate sheet, Météo-France. The most useful figure for planning your day is sunshine: December averages 57 hours of sun for the whole month, under 2 a day, and February reaches 84.
Daylight also changes your itinerary. By astronomical calculation for Paris, on December 21 the sun rises around 8:40 a.m. and sets near 4:55 p.m., about 8h15 of light; on January 15 it rises at 8:40 a.m. and sets at 5:20 p.m., almost 8h45 of light; on February 15 the day passes 10 hours (8 a.m. to 6:10 p.m.). Save anything that needs clear skies, like the top of the Eiffel Tower and the gardens, for midday.
Does it snow in Paris in winter? What are the real chances?
It snows every winter, but almost never for real: Wikipedia, based on Météo-France data, records an average of 2 days with snow in December, 3 in January and 4 in February, and the snow usually melts quickly in the city, because buildings and traffic warm the center. For a traveler, “it snows” means flakes that may fall on a day or two, not a guaranteed white landscape. Source: Climate of Paris, Wikipedia (Météo-France data).
Ice is more common than snow: January averages 7 mornings with temperatures of 0 °C or below, and the daytime high stays at or below 0 °C on about 1 day a month. If you dream of the Eiffel Tower covered in snow, accept that it is a lottery: check the forecast 3 to 5 days ahead and keep 1 day free in your itinerary in case it happens. Heavy snow can make the Tower limit access to the top; check the notice on the official website on the day before you go.
What should you wear in Paris in winter?
Bring layers, not a single heavy coat: three thin layers and a windproof jacket handle 0 °C to 10 °C (32–50 °F), and you take pieces off when you enter the metro, a museum or a café, which tend to be well heated. The combination that works:
- Thermal base layer with long sleeves (thin knit or second skin), under your regular clothes.
- Middle layer: wool sweater or thin fleece.
- Waterproof or windproof jacket, preferably with a hood; an umbrella is hard to use in gusty wind.
- Closed, waterproof shoes with rubber soles: wet sidewalks and cobblestones are slippery.
- Hat, scarf and thin gloves that let you use your phone; they take little room in your bag.
Jeans alone get cold after a drizzle; thermal leggings underneath or quick-dry trousers make a difference. If you forget something, buying locally pays off in January, when stores join the sales (see below).
Paris in December, January or February: which month to choose?
Choose December for festive atmosphere, January for prices and sales, and February for more light with the cold easing a little. Each month has a catch, summarized in the table and the sections below.
Paris in December: Christmas, lights and 8-hour days
December is when Paris is most brightly lit and also the darkest and rainiest month of winter: 62 mm of rain over 11 days and only 57 hours of sun, according to Météo-France. There is ice skating, decorated shop windows and a festive city (see the Christmas in Paris guide); the trade-off is that school holidays for zone C, which includes Paris, run from December 19, 2026 to January 4, 2027 (French government school calendar).
Christmas in Paris
On December 25 the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles are closed; book your hotel early and confirm which restaurants are open on the 24th and 25th before planning dinner. There is no shortage of decorations in shop windows and on the avenues; the best outing is on foot in late afternoon, when it gets dark around 5 p.m.
New Year’s Eve in Paris
The turn from December 31 to January 1 draws a crowd on the Champs-Élysées; the New Year’s Eve on the Champs-Élysées guide explains how the celebration works, where to stay and how to get back to your hotel. On January 1 the Louvre is closed, so reserve that day for walking and sleeping in.
Paris in January: sales and the coldest month
January is the coldest month (average high of 7.6 °C and low of 3.2 °C) and the month of the official sales: the 2027 winter soldes run from January 6, at 8 a.m., to February 2 across most of France, including Paris, according to the official tourism site France.fr. The date changes every year: the rule is to start on the 2nd Wednesday of January, but when that Wednesday falls after the 12th, as in 2027 (January 13), the opening moves up to the 1st Wednesday.
In practice, the first week tends to have more variety of sizes and styles, and the last weeks, bigger discounts with less stock. Visitors who live outside the European Union can request the détaxe, a refund of the sales tax (TVA) on purchases, with a minimum amount per store and departure rules: keep your receipts and ask for the form at the time of payment.
January is not automatically cheap for sleeping: in January 2025, fashion weeks and trade shows pushed the average hotel rate above €400 for three nights in a row (January 24 to 26), according to STR/CoStar. Before locking in dates, check whether there is a fashion week or a big trade fair in your week.
Paris in February: more light, less rain
February is the mildest of the three: average high of 8.8 °C, 42 mm of rain and 84 hours of sun in the month, versus 57 in December. Days pass 10 hours of light by mid-month, which changes your plans: you can fit in Montmartre, the gardens and a walk along the Seine without rushing. The thing to watch is the zone C winter school holidays, February 6 to 22, 2027, when families from Paris and the surrounding region fill museums on rainy days. The calendar of when to travel to France shows how February compares with the rest of the year.
| Criterion | December | January | February |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. high / low | 8.0 / 3.8 °C | 7.6 / 3.2 °C | 8.8 / 3.3 °C |
| Daylight | 8h15 (Dec 21) | 8h40 (Jan 15) | 10h10 (Feb 15) |
| Rain | 62 mm | 47.6 mm | 41.8 mm |
| What’s good | Christmas, lights, ice skating | Soldes from Jan 6 to Feb 2 | More light, less rain |
| Watch out for | School holidays and New Year’s Eve raise prices | Fashion weeks; Louvre closed on Jan 1 | Winter school holidays Feb 6–22 |
What to do in Paris in the cold: museums, covered passages, cafés and ice skating
The plan that works in the cold is to alternate an outdoor attraction at midday with an indoor place early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Four options cover most days.
Museums
A museum is the rainy-day plan: for visitors from outside Europe, Louvre admission costs €32 since January 14, 2026 (€22 for people from the European Economic Area), and the museum is free for everyone on the first Friday of the month after 6 p.m., except in July and August (Louvre). In 2026/27 that falls on December 4 and February 5; the January one coincides with the 1st, a holiday when it is closed. Book a time slot ahead: see the Louvre visiting guide and how to buy tickets without waiting in line. For a day without long lines, the Musée Carnavalet, on the history of Paris, has a free permanent collection.
Covered passages
The 19th-century covered passages are glass-roofed galleries in central Paris, ideal for drizzle and wind: shops, bookstores and tea rooms with mosaic floors, all under the skylight. A half-morning route through Galerie Vivienne, Passage des Panoramas and Galerie Colbert is in the guide to the covered passages of Paris.
Cafés and hot chocolate
A Parisian café is shelter: step into a brasserie, order a chocolat chaud or a café crème and stay as long as you like, because the custom is to linger at the table. Take your break in mid-afternoon, when the sun is already setting and your legs want a rest, and leave dinner for later, because many kitchens only reopen in the evening.
Ice skating
Skating is the most photogenic winter activity: the rink at the Grand Palais, the largest covered rink in the world, runs from December 13, 2026 to January 6, 2027, with adult tickets from €27 in the morning, €32 in the afternoon and €39 in the evening, sold online only (Paris Region site, Nov 2026). Cheaper, the rink at Parc André-Citroën, in the 15th arrondissement, is open from November 22, 2026 to January 3, 2027, Tuesday to Sunday, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. (until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays), for €10 to €13 (Time Out Paris, Oct 2026).
If the sky is clear, it is worth going up the Eiffel Tower: in 2026 the summit by elevator costs €36.70 (adult aged 25 or over) and the second floor by elevator, €23.50, according to the official site; the summit is only worth it with clear skies. Tickets and how to avoid lines are in the Eiffel Tower ticket guide, or you can book a timed-entry Tower ticket.
How much do hotels and flights cost in the low season?
Winter is Paris’s low season for lodging, except for Christmas and New Year’s weeks and the January fashion weeks. In January 2026, our cost guide recorded a 3-star hotel that cost €180 a night in July showing up at €90 to €110 in February (details in the guide to how much a trip to Paris costs). That is a slice of our survey, not an official price list: search the same date on booking sites before deciding.
For flights, the practical rule is to avoid Christmas week, New Year’s week and peak holiday periods in your home country: use the search engine’s price calendar, compare the second week of January with the second week of February, and prefer flights that arrive in the morning, to make use of the first day’s short daylight. See how to get around and how much to spend in how to get around Paris, where to stay and the transit pass that pays off on rainy days.
What closes or changes hours in Paris in winter?
In Paris in winter, what closes are weekly rest days and holiday dates: the Louvre is closed on Tuesdays, January 1 and December 25, and the Palace of Versailles is closed on Mondays and December 25, according to the official sites. Parks and gardens stay open, but with less green, and outdoor attractions close earlier with the light; check each attraction’s hours on its official site in the week of your trip, because the holiday calendar changes from year to year.
The Eiffel Tower extended its hours during the 2025 Christmas holidays, when it ran until 12:45 a.m.; the 2026/27 hours are not yet set in what we consulted, so confirm when you buy. To organize everything by day, build your plan with the 3-day Paris itinerary and move the closed attraction to another day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the coldest month in Paris?
January is the coldest month in Paris, with an average low of 3.2 °C and an average high of 7.6 °C in the 1991–2020 Météo-France normals, and on average 7 mornings a month at 0 °C or below. December and February come right behind.
What should you wear in Paris in January?
For Paris in January, bring a thermal base layer, a sweater or fleece and a waterproof jacket with a hood, plus a hat, scarf, gloves and closed shoes with rubber soles. Layers let you take pieces off in heated metros, museums and cafés.
When do the winter sales (soldes) start in Paris in 2027?
The 2027 winter soldes in Paris start on Wednesday, January 6, at 8 a.m., and run until February 2, four weeks across most of France, according to the official tourism site France.fr.
Is the Louvre open on Christmas and New Year?
The Louvre is closed on December 25 and January 1 and open on other holidays, unless they fall on a Tuesday, the museum’s weekly day off, according to the museum’s official site.
Is Paris in winter worth it for a first-timer?
It is if you accept cold and short days: Paris in winter offers quieter museums, covered passages, ice skating and sales, with fewer tourists than in summer. It is not if your plan depends on sun, picnics or blooming gardens.
Conclusion
For a first trip, choose February if you want the best balance of light, price and mild cold, January if the focus is savings and sales, and December only if the Christmas atmosphere is worth the cost and the pricier hotel. In any month, bring layers, plan your day around the 8 to 10 hours of light and keep an indoor plan for the rain. For the full day-by-day plan, follow the 3-day itinerary and the Eiffel Tower guide.