Introduction. Regular surveillance conducted by the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (INSEI) revealed an increase in mortality during the winter of 2011–2012. The objective of this article is to describe fluctuations in mortality during that winter and to compare this episode with the one observed during the winter of 2008–2009. Methods. Using death data reported by INSEE and population estimates from 2008 to 2011, the number of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants recorded during the winter of 2011–2012 was compared to figures from previous years. The analysis was conducted by age group and by region. Results. Between February 6 and March 18, 2012, an excess of nearly 6,000 deaths (+13%) was estimated, compared to figures recorded in previous years. This result is particularly evident among the oldest individuals (aged 85 and over) and is distributed unevenly across regions. This excess mortality is comparable to that observed during the winter of 2008–2009. Discussion and Conclusion. This study provides an initial estimate of the excess mortality episode observed in early 2012, which corresponds to the excess mortality observed only in municipalities participating in the surveillance system, covering 70% of national mortality. The concurrent occurrence of several factors (cold snap and seasonal epidemics, particularly influenza) during the same period may, at least in part, explain this phenomenon, but their respective roles in this increase remain to be assessed. (R.A.)