Snow-vember: Winter arrives ...

We’ve only just reached the ‘official’ start of winter and already the snow has arrived and fears of a very chilly winter are growing.

A number of counties awoke on Nov 1 to sprinklings of the white stuff.

Snow was reported early yesterday morning in Glenville and Mallow in Cork. Meelin and Doneraile in North Cork received a dusting while Blarney also experienced some snow. Parts of Limerick were also affected.

Although in the main, the snow was reported to be light or confined to high ground, it looks like it’s going to be a cold weekend ahead.

Tonight is expected to be very cold, with clear spells and squally wintry showers with some hail, sleet, and thunder likely. Snow might be found on hills.

Saturday is looking like it will be a bright day with plenty of sunshine, but cold nonetheless.

Sunday looks like being a cold, showery day with blustery winds.

Unsurprisingly, the home county of Ireland’s most famous amateur weatherman, Michael Gallagher was not left untouched by the first of this season’s snow.

Both Mt Errigal and Muckish were capped in snow as hills across West Donegal were also covered.

The postman from Glenfin in Donegal said there was plenty more of the white stuff to come.

“That’s only a taste of what is to come sooner rather than later. We’ll have a few falls of snow before Christmas... It might not be as heavy as it was two years ago but we’ll have plenty of snow,” he said.