Sleet and snow showers will become more widespread across the country this evening as cold Arctic air sweeps down over the country.
Temperatures also will drop throughout the day from 6c this morning to 3c by early evening. It will feel much colder in a stiff northerly breeze.
Road conditions are wet in many parts of the country this morning. Icy conditions are reported on the M6 Galway/Dublin Rd at J10 Kinnegad. There also are icy roads around Tullamore, where the Council is gritting some roads while there are reports of black ice around Kildalkey between Mullingar and Navan off the N51.
Elsewhere, parts of Donegal, Carlow, Wicklow and Wexford saw snow last night from a front which brought light rain and sleet to other parts of the country. In Britain, up to 15cm of snow fell yesterday and overnight; the earliest snow for November in nearly twenty years.
According to iWeather Online forecaster Peter O’Donnell: “Patchy mixed wintry showers will develop mainly over eastern Ulster before spreading to most other counties through the day. Some of these showers will be heavy or prolonged and some will give accumulations of snow (2-4 cms). The snow showers will be mostly on higher ground at first, with sleety rain or hail lower down. Highs today only 3-6 C, and it will feel quite chilly after snow begins to fall.”
He added: “Periods of snow or sleet will become fairly widespread tonight before clear intervals develop with a sharp to severe frost developing with fog patches and icy roads.
As for the tomorrow snow showers will become widespread with heavier accumulations more likely in inland northern counties, and on higher ground in the east. Accumulations are also likely in the southwest and parts of Connacht.”
Meanwhile, much of the country could be affected by a significant snow event on Tuesday and Wednesday next week. A low pressure system is expected to push north from the Bay of Biscay where it is likely to produce heavy snow as it meets cold air over Ireland and the UK. The track of the system is not yet set in stone but could bring widespread heavy snow inland and a sleety mix near coastal areas.
Top daytime temperatures will be 1-3c next week while mercury levels will drop to between minus 5-7c a night.