Watch: Streets of Paris transformed into downhill ski slope as snow blankets the French capital
A winter storm delivered a rare shot of snow to Paris, France, where ski enthusiasts took to the streets to bust out their skills.
Streets of Paris transformed into miniature ski slopes
Ski enthusiasts took to the streets of Paris on Monday, Jan. 5, as the French capital was blanketed in a layer of snow.
PARIS, FRANCE – Ski enthusiasts in Paris didn't have to travel to the French Alps to enjoy some skiing thanks to a notable winter storm that transformed streets into snow-covered slopes on Jan. 5.
According to Meteo France, Monday's snowstorm brought accumulations of 5 cm (1.97 inches) to Paris, coupled with a cold front that has delivered some of the coldest temperatures to France in the last eight years.
The Parisian powder day brought hosts of people outside to enjoy the snow-covered city, including enthusiastic groups of skiers that took the rare opportunity to strap in and ski the urban landscape.
One skier decked out in winter ski garments took to the streets in the Paris neighborhood of Montmartre. (Hosni Nihel via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Video footage captured one person decked out in winter ski garments traversing down a street in the Paris neighborhood of Montmartre.
PARIS, FRANCE - Jan. 5, 2026: People are seen in Montmartre neighborhood during the heavy snowstorm that hit Paris. A heavy snowstorm hit the French capital, causing excitement among Parisians and tourists, as well as transportation disruptions. (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) (Photo by Telmo Pinto/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
While Parisian streets were converted into bunny hills, steeper "trails" in parks and green spaces offered urban skiers the opportunity to dodge some trees and get a few turns in.
One skier captured on video did exactly that, and carved a path down a short, small hill in a Paris park.
One skier in Paris goes down a small hill in a park on Jan. 5. (Hosni Nihel via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Tourists and Parisians alike don't miss the opportunity to swarm the snow-covered streets of the French capital to take in views of some of the City of Love's most iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and the Arc de Triomphe, to name a few.
How common is snow in Paris?
Snow in Paris is a rare event, and Monday's episode contends as one of the biggest events the City of Light has seen in recent years.
Pedestrians walk on the Champs-de-Mars blanketed in snow near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on January 5, 2026. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
According to Meteo France, the levels of Monday's snowstorm are equivalent to similar snowfall events that occurred in January 2019 and February 2018.
PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 05: A general view of snow-covered areas as winter snowfall created lively scenes across the French capital on January 05, 2026. Visitors gathered in snow-covered landmarks to enjoy the seasonal conditions. (Photo by Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images) (Photo by Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed/Anadolu via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The heaviest snowfall ever observed in Paris came in March 1946, when up to 40 cm, or 15.748 inches, was recorded in Paris' Parc Montsouris.
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More snow is expected to fall as yet another cold front is forecast to move across France Wednesday night, Meteo France reported, adding to the layer of snow that blanketed much of the European country earlier this week.