Schools on high alert as snow threatens chaos

SCHOOLS are on high alert for closures with ‘significant disruption’ expected this morning with up to 10cm of snow set to fall.

Areas most likely to bear the brunt of the sub zero temperatures are in Connacht and northwest Ulster.

The capital and south-east are expected to remain relatively snow-free although light showers could occur, forecasters warned.

The entire country is currently under a status yellow cold weather warning, which came into effect at 3am this morning and is due to last until 11pm tonight.

However, forecasters have said this could be upgraded to orange if conditions worsen.

At the time of publishing, the yellow warning remains in place and there are no closures of any schools or third-level institutions planned.

Met Éireann forecaster Gerry Murphy warned that the snowfall is expected to cause chaos in certain places, explaining: ‘We are expecting that the snow will be substantial in places.

‘There will be falls of snow, we’ve issued a yellow level warning but we do expect that there will be pockets of orange level snow which means that it’ll be greater than 3cm to 10cm in places, even higher on the higher ground.

‘It is difficult to pin down the

Snowfall of up to 10cm in places

exact places….but some areas will get enough snow to cause substantial disruptions.’

This morning will be very cold with rain, sleet and snow spreading northeastwards to most areas with poor visibility and very hazardous driving conditions, according to Met Éireann’s forecast.

‘In the afternoon, sleet and snow will continue over Ulster, Connacht and north Leinster, but will turn mainly to rain and sleet further south. The northwest of Ulster may stay drier throughout, however. Temperatures of zero to five degrees with fresh, easterly winds.

‘Thursday night will be cold with falls of sleet and snow in many areas. The sleet and snow will continue overnight over the eastern half of the country. It will become drier further west with frost and ice developing. Lowest temperatures of minus four.’

The snow-ice warning for all of Ireland is in place until 11pm tonight, with Leinster, Cavan and Monaghan having a longer estimate in place due to further accumulations of snow expected in the area. The warning is in place until 7am tomorrow in these areas.

There’s a further snow warning for Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry from 7am this morning until 2pm tomorrow.

According to Dr Alan Hally, forecasting services manager at Met Éireann, said: ‘Our highresolution ensemble prediction system is specifically designed to represent the uncertainties related to these types of events. In Ireland, the occurrence of snow is almost always a marginal event, and our forecasters rely heavily on ensemble prediction systems in order to determine the most likely outcome.’

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has urged all motorists to prepare for further cold weather conditions which it said will ‘lead to hazardous road conditions and reduced visibility’.

Drivers are being advised to check local traffic and weather conditions before setting out on any journeys.

The RSA has urged drivers to do the following:

● Remove all snow from your vehicle before commencing your journey. Snow left on the roof will become loose and can drop onto the windscreen during braking.

● Clear windows and mirrors before you set out, use a screen scraper and de-icer. Do not use hot water on the windscreen as it can crack the glass.

● In snowy conditions, use all controls delicately.

● Avoid over-steering and harsh braking and harsh acceleration. Use the highest gear possible to avoid wheel spin.

However, it looks like the cold snap will be coming to an end in the middle of the weekend.

On Saturday morning, it is expected that rain, sleet and snow will spread to all areas and will transition mainly to rain and sleet as milder air follows.

‘But it may continue to fall as sleet and snow in Ulster, where temperatures will stay down at between 1 and 4 degrees. It will be milder to the south and west with temperatures of 7 to 10 degrees,’ Met Éireann warned.

On Saturday night, rain, sleet and snow will gradually clear to the northeast. Sunday will be a mild and wet day as a band of rain spreads across the country.

Highest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees with moderate to fresh southerly winds are forecast.

Meanwhile, over in the UK, their met office has issued a ‘threat to life’ warning as 15 inches of snow are expected in areas of Scotland.

Cold snap coming to an end soon