Worley mastered tricky conditions on a snow and fog-hit Rettenbach Glacier to finish 0.35 seconds ahead of Italy's Federica Brignone with US superstar Mikaela Shiffrin nearly a second down in third place.
It was a stunning performance from the 29-year-old, who is a serving sergeant in the French Army, but also a two-time world champion in the giant slalom discipline.
She was only third after the first run, but second time down she easily eclipsed the time of Shiffrin and also saw off the challenge of first-run leader Brignone.
Germany's Viktoria Rebensburg dropped from second to fourth after taking a late gate wide in her attempt to match Worley's super-smooth second leg performance.
Shiffrin, who took Olympic gold in giant slalom earlier this year, is seeking a third straight overall World Cup title and hoping to win a fourth straight slalom world title later in the season.
The 23-year-old won 12 times last season, but will have to wait to get off the mark in this new campaign after Worley secured the first French success at Soelden, which is the traditional host for the season-opener.
"The slope was very bumpy and very difficult, I just wanted to charge and have no regrets at the end," said Worley, who was winning her 13th career World Cup title.
The men's World Cup season starts with a giant slalom Sunday at the Austrian ski resort.
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