Four departments in western Occitanie (Aude, Aveyron, Hérault and Tarn) are placed on orange snow and ice alert by Météo-France. The nine other departments in the region are on yellow alert, notably Lozère, in orange until 10 a.m. this Thursday morning, before being downgraded. School transport was suspended Thursday morning in Aude (with the exception of Narbonnais) and in the north of Hérault.
The A75 motorway has been prohibited for vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes from Lodève north, in Hérault, to the limits of the Cantal and Lozère departments, in both directions of traffic. But it is further north, in Puy-de-Dôme, that the main difficulties were concentrated with motorists sometimes stuck for hours on the highway.
Aveyron and Tarn under the snow
Around the main cities of Occitanie, traffic conditions are normal, particularly in Montpellier, Toulouse, Nîmes, Béziers and Perpignan. But they can be very complicated elsewhere.
Many accidents have occurred on the secondary roads of Tarn where the snow is most abundant. It snowed in the plains and up to 20 centimeters fell in Lacaune, in the Haut Languedoc regional park. The regions of Albi and especially Castres woke up to snow. Traffic is very difficult in the west of the department, but also in the south, in the Black Mountain. Delicate traffic also on almost the entire secondary network of Aveyron, but also on the A75 on the Larzac plateau, between Millau and La Cavalerie.
Very difficult traffic in the Hauts cantons
In Hérault, the Hauts cantons, where it snows from 400 meters, are particularly affected. Traffic is even impossible between Saint-Pons-de-Thomières and La Salvetat-sur-Agout. A jackknifed truck blocks the road in Riols. In the Gard, traffic is difficult in the Cévennes and access to the Col de l’Espérou closed. But the main difficulty came from the A9 motorway, where traffic was interrupted for more than an hour near Remoulins due to a truck on fire. She has since gotten back on track.