FRANCE is out of the cold snap which has seen sub-zero temperatures across the country over the last two weeks. 

Most of the country apart from the north and north west is still on a low-level (yellow) alert from Météo France, meaning you should take care if doing activities at risk from bad weather, however there are no departments now rated at the second-to-highest orange alert. 

Temperatures are predicted to remain above zero, apart from in the Alps, but they also dipped into minus figures this morning on the plateaus of the Massif Central and in parts of the Vosges, Franche-Comté and Midi-Pyrénées. 

They will rise to highs of about 10C in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Corsica, Aquitaine and Brittany. 

People are nonetheless being warned to be prudent when driving, because of the recent thaw and risks of snow falling on the road; and in the Pyrénées there is a “significant” risk of avalanche below 1,800m and a “strong risk” higher than that. 

Snow chains will still be needed to access many ski resorts and some traffic problems are being predicted at altitude. In many lowland areas prefectures are closing roads to heavy goods vehicles to stop damage during the thaw. The so-called barrières de dégel are enforced with signs preventing vehicles above weights from using the road.