Met Éireann pinpoints when snow and sleet will arrive during 'bitter cold' weather

Snow and sleet showers will arrive later this week when it is due to turn bitterly cold, according to the latest forecast from Met Éireann. 

It is predicted to get bitterly cold with frost on ice overnight on several days, and throughout some days in particular. 

Some falls of sleet or snow are predicted mainly in the north.

Any frost and mist patches will clear on Saturday morning to leave a generally cloudy day. Patchy rain and drizzle in the north this morning will gradually spread southwards over the country during the afternoon and evening. A few brighter spells will develop in Ulster as the rain clears. Highest temperatures of 3 to 7 degrees in light and variable breezes.

It will be cold tonight with patchy rain and drizzle in the south easing to leave a mix of cloud, clear spells and isolated showers. Areas of mist or fog too. Lowest temperatures of -2 to +3 degrees in light northwest or variable winds with frost and icy patches likely.

Mist, fog and any frost will gradually clear from most areas on Sunday morning to leave a mix of bright spells and a few passing showers. Some of the showers will turn wintry on northern hills later in the day. A cold day with highest temperatures of 2 to 6 degrees in light to moderate northerly winds, freshening on northern coasts.

It will be very cold on Sunday night with widespread frost and ice. It will be generally dry and clear but some wintry showers are possible in northern coastal areas. Lowest temperatures of -4 to zero degrees in a moderate northerly breeze.

Frost and ice will be slow to clear on Monday morning and may linger in some sheltered spots throughout the day. Generally dry with spells of sunshine but it will be cloudier at times in the west and north with the chance of a few wintry showers. Maximum temperatures of 1 to 4 degrees in a moderate northwest breeze. Generally dry and clear in the midlands and south on Monday night with a sharp frost developing along with some fog patches. Cloudier further north with the chance of a spell of rain moving in across Ulster and north Connacht, turning to sleet or snow in places. Lowest temperatures of -4 to zero degrees generally but holding a few degrees above freezing in the northwest.

Again, it will be cold on Tuesday with frost and ice slowly clearing. Scattered wintry showers will drift south over the country with the chance of some snow, mainly on the hills. Maximum temperatures generally ranging from 2 to 5 degrees on Tuesday with a moderate west or southwest breeze. Another frosty and icy night on Tuesday night with lowest temperatures of -5 to zero degrees in light northerly winds. Generally dry overnight but there will be a few wintry showers, especially across Ulster with some snowfall likely.

It is due to be bitterly cold on Wednesday with frost and ice lingering in some places throughout the day. It will be dry in many areas with sunshine but a few snow showers are likely in Connacht and Ulster and perhaps drifting in from the Irish Sea to affect parts of east Leinster later on. Highest temperatures of zero to +3 degrees in a moderate northerly breeze.

A severe frost is expected on Wednesday night with lowest temperatures of around -5 to -2 degrees with a light northwest breeze. Sleet and snow showers will affect some western and northern coastal counties overnight but it will be mostly dry elsewhere.