FOLLOWING THE first snowfalls of the season on Sunday, last night was expected to be the coldest yet this winter, with more snow predicted for high-lying areas in the north and northwest.
The first snow flurries were reported at Knock and Belmullet, Co Mayo, on Sunday. Parts of Ulster and Connacht were also covered yesterday morning, with Met Éireann warning of more hail, sleet and snow last night.
“Winter has really kicked in,” said Met Éireann forecaster John Eagleton. “November was really autumn; there has been a noticeable change now in December.”
While temperatures will drop to as low as zero degrees in parts of the country, the unusually cold weather experienced last winter is unlikely, with winds coming in from the Atlantic Ocean rather than blowing down from Siberia, as occurred 12 months ago.
Temperatures are not predicted to fall below zero this week, and unless the wind changes direction a white Christmas on the scale of last year seems unlikely, although Met Éireann do not make weather forecasts that far into the future.
Things will warm up later in the week, with daytime temperatures on Thursday expected to rise to as high as 11 degrees.
However, for areas on higher ground, particularly in the north and northwest, more snowfall remains likely.
Brendan Flanagan of Inishowen, Co Donegal, and a former employee of the national forecaster, said local people are more than well prepared for the “dusting of snow” they have received so far.
After some local amateur forecasters predicted heavy snow at the end of October, shops in the area experienced a major boost in the sale of winter items such as snow tyres, he said.
The appropriately named Slieve Sneacht was one of the first areas to be spotted with snow, according to Mr Flanagan.