The Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of France is the big weather-maker in the northwest part of the country. The currents flowing along the shore temper the weather, making it is similar to that of the United Kingdom. Winters are cool but rarely snowy.
The three most northwestern provinces in France are Brittany, Lower Normandy and Upper Normandy. In February, the temperature in Brittany averages 5.7 degrees C (42°F); in Lower Normandy, it averages 4.9°C (41°F); and in Upper Normandy, it averages 3.6°C (38°F). Precipitation ranges from 56.9 mm in Brittany to 57.6 in Lower Normandy and 58.5 in Upper Normandy, all of which amounts to about 2.25 inches of moisture.
Nord-Pas-De-Calais is the northernmost province of France, and the second-most densely populated. Picardy is immediately south of Nord-Pas-De-Calais. The weather in February is very similar in both provinces. The average temperature is 3.4°C (38°F), and precipitation averages 41.4 mm (1.63 inches).
In Ile-De-France, the province south of Picardy, February temperatures average 5.2°C (41°F) and precipitation averages 45.4 millimeters (1.8 inches). Ile-De-France is home to Paris and its suburbs.
According to Weather in France, the part of France that lies east of an imaginary line that connects Lille in the north, runs through Paris, and then extends to Lyon in the south has markedly different weather than the western side of the nation. To the east of the line, winters are cold and snowy.
The three French provinces in this part of the country are, from east to west, Champagne-Ardenne, Alsace and Lorraine. In Champagne-Ardenne, the average February temperature is 2°C (36°F). It snows an average of 20 to 30 days each year, and it can be windy in the wintertime.
In Lorraine, February temperatures average 2.8°C (37°F) and precipitation averages 57.7 mm (2.27 inches). Temperatures are very similar in Alsace, with the average being 2.5°C (37°), but Alsace gets less precipitation, averaging 34.3 mm (1.35 inches).
