All parts of the country could experience snow this week with night time temperatures falling as low as minus 5 degrees.
Met Éireann has issued a yellow weather warning for all parts of the country from 6am on Tuesday to 6pm on Saturday.
Snow is expected across the country and it has warned that “some accumulations of snow are expected” with icy stretches on untreated roads.
Temperatures will remain well below average with the first of the snow expected on Monday night.
A cold front will move eastwards across the country bringing snow to Donegal and the counties of Connacht on Tuesday morning. Scattered snow showers are expected further east as well.
Met Éireann forecaster Matthew Martin predicted that snow will mostly fall on higher ground, but will reach lower levels on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
With temperatures at night well below freezing and not rising above 4 degrees during the day, there is a possibility that snow will remain on the ground.
On Thursday another Atlantic low pressure system will bring the “risk of more widespread snow”, he says.
“It could locally give significant falls of snow in inland areas away from the southeast.”
Thursday night is predicted to be exceptionally cold with lows of minus 5 degrees leading to widespread frost and ice across the country. Temperatures will not rise significantly above freezing on Friday.
“Any snow that does fall will melt, but it won’t be a significant melt,” he said.
Friday and Saturday will still be cold with wintery showers. The long-term forecast suggests a slightly warmer start to next week.
