Postman not dreaming of a white Christmas - he is predicting one

A COLD SNAP is on its way, but unlike a very confident Donegal postman, Met Éireann is not yet forecasting a white Christmas.

Michael Gallagher says he is “90 per cent” certain a white Christmas is on its way as all the signs in nature suggest.

The behaviour of sheep, cattle and foxes all point to a “hunger in everything” which presages that an intense cold snap until Christmas at least is on its way.

He said other indicators like the late growth of grass in October and the haws being laden with berries were further signs of a “tight and hard wintry snap in the coming weeks”, with a great chance of snow on Christmas Day.

Met Éireann, which employs a more reliable if more prosaic methodology, says it is too early to predict a white Christmas.

It is, however, predicting an intensely cold period towards the weekend, with temperatures as low as -5 degrees at night, especially in the west and the midlands. Today and tomorrow will be cold, though not excessively so, with averages of 4-8 degrees.

However, things are getting progressively colder towards the weekend, with a biting easterly wind over the country. There will be plenty of fog and frost at night.

Mercifully, given the recent record rainfall, it will be dry, especially in the south and west which experienced the worst of the recent flooding.

But there is a possibility of rain in the east and northeast which could fall as sleet or snow, especially on higher ground.

“There’s nothing drastic. There’s no heavy falls expected,” according to Met Éireann forecaster Gerry Murphy.

Temperatures will fall the farther east one travels as the easterly wind becomes colder as it passes over land. The lowest temperatures are expected in the west on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Met Éireann’s long-term forecast – it is for nine days – indicates that the cold spell will continue, with tentative signs that things will become warmer towards Christmas Day.

“As far as we can tell it is going to stay cold into the first half of next week. After that it looks like it is going to get milder getting closer to Christmas Day, but we can’t say that with any certainty,” Mr Murphy said yesterday.

The definition of a white Christmas in Ireland is at least an inch (25mm) of snow at Dublin airport on Christmas Day.

The last time that happened was in 2004.

Bookies in the UK have forecast a tenfold increase in bets on a white Christmas.

The bookies have slashed the odds as a result of the cold weather. Dublin and Belfast are both 11/4 to have a white Christmas, and Cork is at 4/1.