A Status Orange warning for snow and ice has been issued for six counties.
The Orange warning will come into effect in Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick and Tipperary from 5pm tomorrow evening for 24 hours.
The majority of the country will be under a Status Yellow snow and ice warning from the same time, with a separate rain and snow alert kicking in for Cork and Kerry tomorrow at 1pm.
Met Éireann is forecasting temperatures could drop to minus 12 degrees in some areas during the cold snap.
Status Orange - Snow-Ice warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, Clare, Limerick, Tipperary
Impacts:
• Very difficult travelling conditions
• Poor visibility
• Animal welfare issuesValid: 17:00 Sat 04/01 to 17:00 Sunday 05/01
All warnings ➡️ https://t.co/t2JoveSsoa pic.twitter.com/0TjB6sz2Se
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 3, 2025
Carlow Weather’s Alan O'Reilly said there will be significant snowfall.
“In general, the Midlands looks to be the area likely to see the most disruptive snow, where it does stay as snow,” he said.
“Especially on higher ground in the Midlands, you are looking at over 20 to 30 centimetres of snow - not something we would see very often in Ireland.”
Climate Scientist and founder of Ireland's Weather Channel Cathal Nolan said temperatures next week could drop as low as minus 12 degrees.
“The last time we would have experienced temperatures quite that low, it would have been back in December 2010,” he said.
“Just to look at the weather models again, at the moment, some of the maximum temperatures that we're seeing as we go through the middle of next week, where that snow is lying on the ground, is no higher than about minus five to minus six degrees Celsius.”
Please keep up to date with https://t.co/dz6JbE6dxJ and the Met Éireann app for all active snow/ice warning for your area.
Validity times will differ.
All active warnings ➡️ https://t.co/t2JoveSsoa pic.twitter.com/s2KmJhhHdI
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) January 3, 2025
Met Éireann are urging people to be careful while driving as very difficult travelling conditions are expected, with poor visibility.
Travel disruptions are also predicted – such as delays to public transport and air travel.
Met Éireann are also warning there will be difficult conditions underfoot, so to take care while out walking.
It has also been recommended that pets remain inside during these conditions and that larger animals are appropriately cared for.
Winter snow in Co Wicklow, 10-2-16. Image: Bernard Golden / Alamy
