Road conditions still hazardous as cold snap set to worsen.

A number of routes remain treacherous around the country this morning, with overnight rain bringing a thaw to some spots but forecasters predicting even colder weather to come.

The AA says some of the worst-affected roads are in Kerry and Limerick, while gardaí are still advising against travel in the Wicklow Mountains.

As people take to the roads again ahead of the New Year, AA Roadwatch is urging motorists to take care.

"While there was some improvement yesterday things have worsened again overnight as temperatures dropped," said AA Roadwatch spokesperson Esther Moore O'Donoghue.

"Icy conditions are reported particularly on secondary routes around Connacht, Munster and Leinster, and earlier snowfall in parts of Kerry, Clare, Galway and Limerick have made roads particularly wet.

"In some cases they have refrozen and made conditions slippery and treacherous."

Conditions are expected to worsen over the New Year period with Met Eireann predicting tempertures as low as -10 in some parts.

"There will be widespread freezing on the roads tomorrow night and for New Year's Day," said Evelyn Cusack of Met Éireann.

"The first week of 2010 looks like being bitterly cold. We are going to have polar air right down across Ireland, producing snow showers particularly in Ulster.

"We are going to have very very severe frost, air temperatures below -5, down to -10 at night."