Essential to shelter the most vulnerable, the Great Cold Plan has been launched in certain French departments.
When temperatures drop and France experiences a cold spell, the Extreme Cold Plan can be activated to protect the most vulnerable. The activation of the Extreme Cold Plan in France is firstly based on a seasonal standby from November 1 to March 31, during which state services prepare the system. Then, it is the department or regional prefect(s) who trigger the operational alert, when a lasting, intense and geographically widespread cold episode occurs on the basis of a weather alert issued by Météo-France. For the winter of 2025-2026, there has not yet been a national triggering of the plan. Except in the Bouches‑du‑Rhône department, the winter plan has been activated “very cold alert” since November 1, 2025, mentioning a temperature felt up to -18°C.
What is the Extreme Cold Plan?
The Great Cold Plan is a reinforced accommodation system intended for those most vulnerable to the cold (homeless people, etc.) in the event of a cold spell. A cold spell corresponds to an episode of cold weather characterized by its persistence, intensity and geographic extent. In this case, temperatures reach values significantly below seasonal norms for at least two days. In the same way as the Heatwave Plan (triggered during a heat wave), the Great Cold Plan aims to limit the health and social impacts linked to cold waves and to protect the most exposed people.
What are the dates of the Extreme Cold Plan?
He can be activated annually from November 1 to March 31 in the event of a cold snap. As of 2025, it has not been triggered nationally. On the other hand, it has only been activated in the Bouches-du-Rhône department since November 1 (level 1).
What are the different levels of the Extreme Cold Plan?
The Severe Cold Plan is made up of three levels of vigilancedepending directly on the daily reading of daytime and nighttime temperatures from Météo France:
- Level 1 (cold weather): positive temperatures during the day, but between zero and -5°C at night;
- Level 2 (very cold): negative temperatures during the day and between -5°C and -10°C at night;
- Level 3 (extreme cold): negative temperatures during the day and below -10°C at night.
What are the objectives of the Extreme Cold Plan?
The objectives of the Severe Cold Plan are to define the actions to be implemented at local and national levels, to detect, prevent and limit the health and social effects linked to winter temperatures and its collateral aspects, paying particular attention to vulnerable populations. Concretely, the Extreme Cold Plan makes it possible to:
► Have additional accommodation places for the most vulnerable people (people on the street for example)
► Establish a list of gymnasiums or rooms in town hall making it possible to accommodate people on the street.
► Strengthen the followed by 115 (Samusocial, emergency number used by homeless people or the population to report a person in distress): the number of listeners at 115 is also increased to respond to the most urgent requests.
► Strengthen marauding teamspedestrian, transported, nocturnal which reaches out to all audiences in the least accessible areas (Bois de Vincennes, quays of the Seine for example)
► Develop a communication system aimed at raising awareness and protecting populations from the health consequences of a prolonged cold period.
