All of Ireland under status yellow snow and ice warnings as temperatures to fall to -4C

Fri, 02 Jan, 2026 - 11:25

Darragh Leen

All of Ireland is set to be affected by status yellow snow and ice warnings this weekend as Met Éireann forecasts a sharp cold snap, with temperatures dropping as low as -4C in some areas.

The national forecaster has issued a series of overlapping weather warnings for snow, frost and ice, warning of hazardous travel conditions and poor visibility, particularly overnight and during early morning hours.

A status yellow snow and ice warning for Donegal will come into effect from 8pm on Friday until 11am on Saturday, with wintry showers and some snow accumulations expected.

Met Éireann has warned that conditions may lead to dangerous travel and reduced visibility.

From 6pm on Saturday until 11am on Sunday, a status yellow low temperature and ice warning will be in place for Munster, Carlow, Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

During this period, temperatures are forecast to fall to between -2C and -4C, bringing sharp or severe frost and widespread icy stretches.

A further status yellow snow and ice warning will apply over the same period for Connacht, Cavan, Donegal, Monaghan and Louth, where wintry showers, snow accumulations and icy conditions are expected to create difficult travel conditions and poor visibility.

Looking ahead to the weekend, Met Éireann said Friday will bring sunny spells and scattered showers, with sleet and snow possible across Ulster and Connacht.

Frost and ice are expected to develop later, while other areas will remain mostly dry, with lowest temperatures of 2C to 3C.

Saturday is forecast to be generally dry with spells of sunshine, though isolated rain, sleet and snow showers may occur in northern and northwestern areas.

Temperatures are expected to plunge on Saturday night, with severe frost developing and lows of -4C, including parts of Cork.

Sunday will remain cold and largely dry, though icy conditions are expected to persist throughout the day.

Motorists have been advised to exercise caution on untreated roads and footpaths.

Further wintry showers are forecast in the north and west on Sunday night, with temperatures again falling sharply.

Conditions may begin to moderate early next week, with milder weather expected by Tuesday, bringing outbreaks of rain, particularly in western and southwestern areas.

Northern Ireland warnings

Meanwhile, the UK Met Office has issued status yellow snow and ice warnings for parts of Northern Ireland.

A warning covering Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry is valid from 3pm on Friday until midday on Saturday, with wintry showers expected to cause travel disruption.

A second yellow warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Tyrone and Derry will remain in effect from midday on Saturday until midday on Monday, with snow and ice potentially continuing to disrupt travel into the start of the working week.

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