Status Yellow snow-ice warning in effect for 11 counties

A Status Yellow snow and ice warning is in effect for 11 counties across Ireland, with forecasters warning of difficult travelling conditions and poor visibility. The warning, issued by Met Éireann, is valid until 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Snow and Ice Warning Details

The Status Yellow warning covers Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo and Wicklow. Met Éireann said showers may fall as sleet or snow in some areas, with some accumulations possible, mainly on high ground.

Surface water from Monday’s heavy rain could freeze, leading to icy stretches on untreated roads and footpaths, the forecaster warned.

Temperature Drop and Wind Conditions

Met Éireann forecaster Siobhán Ryan said a change in air mass is already occurring, with winds veering westerly. “When they begin to veer westerly, we know that that change in air mass has already occurred, so the temperatures … are falling back quite markedly in across the north and west,” she said.

Temperatures are expected to fall “quite dramatically” in the south and east in the coming hours. Overnight temperatures are predicted to be around 0C to 3C, but will feel colder due to the wind-chill factor.

Weekend Outlook and St. Patrick’s Day Forecast

Ryan described the current conditions as “routine March weather,” adding that temperatures will rise “a little bit” over the weekend, but “there’s still going to be a little edge on it.” Tomorrow is expected to be a better day than Sunday, with “long dry spells,” though a wind-chill factor will return on Sunday.

The weather is expected to remain changeable into next week. For St. Patrick’s Day, the forecast is “maybe a bit cloudy, not so cold, but probably a spell of rain at some stage.”

Ryan noted that “anything goes” with St. Patrick’s Day weather, ranging from dry and sunny conditions with temperatures potentially reaching the high teens, to temperatures in the low single figures. She believes this year’s St. Patrick’s Day will fall somewhere in between those extremes.

Beyond St. Patrick’s Day, there are “tentative signs of high pressure building.”