The big chill looks set to return with Met Éireann warning of fresh snow falls hitting the country by the end of the week.
Met Éireann predicts a sharp frost to develop over much of the country on Thursday night followed by up to 10cm of snow falling in many areas by Friday morning.
The weather is expected to remain cold over the weekend with further wintry showers on Saturday and Sunday.
Night time temperatures will remain sub-zero in many areas with daytime highs of 3 to 7 degrees during the week.
Amateur weatherman and postman Michael Gallagher says we are set for another freezing spell. “All the signs are that the cold snap is far from over and I think we’re going to have plenty more snow before we put this winter behind us,” he said.
Last month's frosty weather meant December was officially the coldest on record as Arctic conditions left a blanket of frost and heavy snowfall across the country.
The picturesque white Christmas saw temperatures plummet to the lowest on record, with minus 17.5 degrees in Straide, Co Mayo.
In the Dublin area the temperature on Christmas Day fell to minus 15.7 degrees – the coldest since data began over 50 years ago.
Met Éireann’s monthly weather summary showed that by December 25 there was 27cm of snow lying at Casement Aerodrome.
The summary said spells of exceptionally cold weather during the month brought some of the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Ireland.
Around the country between 14 and 24 days with air frost were recorded during the month, more than twice the normal number for December.
But there were also short periods of milder weather making the month was drier and sunnier than normal.
“Mean air temperatures for the month were up to six degrees lower than normal in places and it was the coldest December on record almost everywhere,” it added.
Elsewhere, monthly rainfall totals were below normal everywhere but sunshine totals varied widely, with both Belmullet and Valentia Observatory recording their sunniest December on record.
Met Éireann said while 2010 began and ended with spells of exceptionally cold weather, the months between April and September were warmer than normal with total rainfall below normal.
“While January, February and November were the coldest for at least 25 years, December was the coldest on record,” it added.
The highest temperature, 25.6 degrees, was recorded in Carlow on May 23.
Additional reporting PA
