THE COLD snap that has brought snow and freezing conditions to many parts of the country is set to continue until Christmas morning at the earliest.
Temperatures are expected to remain so low that snow, which has fallen in recent days, will stay on the ground guaranteeing a white Christmas for some parts of the north and west, but also disrupting Christmas travel plans for thousands of people.
Border counties were worst affected by snow with reports of 17cm (7 inches) of snow falling in parts of Co Leitrim and Co Cavan in recent days.
In Cavan 20 schools closed yesterday. There was also school closures in Donegal, Sligo, Roscommon and Longford and as far south as Limerick, Kerry and Cork.
If schools do not reopen today, they will not reopen until after the Christmas holidays as today is the last day of term.
Met Éireann is forecasting that daytime temperatures will hover around zero and get no higher than 5 degrees, while at night, air temperatures will fall as low as minus 5 degrees.
Met Éireann forecaster Pat Clarke said conditions would be particularly difficult for motorists with freezing fog at night which may persist through the day in sheltered parts.
Temperatures will not rise substantially above freezing in many places to thaw the snow that has already fallen.
“The areas that have had snow already are going to have a white Christmas,” Mr Clarke said. “Anywhere where snow is still lying is going to keep on the ground.”
Counties along the Atlantic seaboard from Donegal to Cork are at risk of further falls of snow today and tomorrow.
The east and southeast, which has escaped relatively unscathed, could have substantial snowfalls tomorrow with a weather system coming in over the Irish Sea, though it is too early to tell yet.
Tomorrow night is expected to be the coldest night to date with road temperatures as low as minus nine degrees.
The cold weather will continue through Christmas Eve and into Christmas morning, although milder conditions are expected through Christmas Day.
The AA is advising motorists not to make anything other than essential journeys, but, with many people travelling for Christmas, that may be difficult.
Motorists who must travel have been advised to look out for black ice especially at night on exposed bends, underneath trees and bridges and also on higher ground.
AA Roadwatch controller Nicola Hudson advised passengers to keep to the main roads which will be gritted, but secondary roads remain treacherous throughout the country.
“There is both fresh and compacted snow as well as ice and black ice to contend with. There is a very high risk of skidding, so make sure you know what to do. Caution is the word,” she said.
Bus Éireann services in the southwest were disrupted yesterday with delays on buses from Limerick to Tralee, Killarney and Galway.
The company has advised passengers to contact their local travel office for information on individual services or consult its website at www.buseireann.ie.
Passengers at Dublin airport experienced delays yesterday as a result of continuing problems at airports in Britain and continental Europe.
A Delta flight to and from Dublin airport to New York was cancelled as were Aer Lingus flights to Malaga, Madrid and Heathrow airport.
The airline is expecting its busiest day of the Christmas period today with 60,000 passengers passing through.
Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) spokeswoman Siobhán Moore said: “We have our snow and ice plan in operation. Once the temperature drops below a certain level, we will be out with our potassium acetate to keep the runways open.”
