Snow shuts Eiffel Tower as winter blast hits France

Paris : The Eiffel Tower turned away tourists yesterday as snow swept across northern France, snarling trains and giving the capital its first real dose of wintry weather this season.

The Meteo France weather service put the greater Paris region on alert for snow and black ice on roads, among 36 departments on alert across the country.

Snow had already dusted Paris on Monday before quickly melting away, though more has settled in its suburbs.

But Meteo France says the snowfall will intensify Wednesday evening, leaving three to 10 centimetres (one to four inches) in most areas on alert -- conditions that could cause headaches for commuters.

“This will be the first blast of winter, late but the real thing, with cold air from Scandinavia colliding with a perturbation coming up from the south,” said forecaster Sebastien Leas.