A weather advisory remains in place following freezing temperatures overnight.
Met Éireann predicts sharp frost for the country while eastern counties can expect sleet and snow showers.
Temperatures dropped below freezing last night, as conditions are due to grow “progressively cold” over the coming days, with daytime temperatures struggling to clear away overnight frost or ice as they remain between one to three degrees Celsius.
Snowfall is expected to become heavier later on a “bitterly cold” today and through to Tuesday.
While the first half of the week may see just parts of Leinster and Ulster receive a “light dusting” of snowfall, with accumulations of one or two centimetres, showers will begin to push inland from Tuesday.
Very cold & breezy today,frost & ice slow to clear. Scattered showers of sleet & snow in the E, mainly affecting N Leinster, with largely dry conditions & sunny spells elsewhere. Highs of just 1 to 4C with an added wind chill factor in fresh E winds.https://t.co/9gKN6SVok4 pic.twitter.com/nrDVDwIphl
Advertisement— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) February 8, 2021
Widespread snow and sleet is most likely to arrive on Thursday, though the forecaster has emphasised there is “some uncertainty” on exact details.
Met Éireann predicted on Saturday that much of Ireland will lie beneath more than five centimetres of snow on Thursday, according to The Irish Times.
By that time, children may be offered the opportunity to sled, build snowmen and have snowball fights, Met Éireann meteorologist Liz Coleman said.
It appears that a developing weather system is likely to move up from the south-west and “readily turn to snow” when it meets the cold air over the country.
Latest update
In their update this morning, Met Éireann said scattered showers of sleet and snow will "move in over the eastern half of the country, mainly affecting east Ulster and north Leinster", while "largely dry conditions and sunny spells elsewhere" today.
Tonight is expected to be very cold "with showers of sleet and snow drifting further inland and becoming more frequent" and overnight temperatures may fall as low as minus three in parts.
Weather warnings for hazardous conditions are likely to be issued this week, as forecasts are updated and fine-tuned.
The nationwide weather advisory came into effect at 6am on Sunday and will remain in place until 6pm on Wednesday evening.
